U.S. media reported on the 5th that more details about the rescue of the pilot shot down by Iran have been revealed, stating that U.S. special forces previously built a runway in Iran, but the plane used to transport the rescued pilot and U.S. soldiers out of Iran got stuck in the sand, nearly causing the rescue operation to fail.

The New York Times, citing multiple U.S. military sources, reported that after the U.S. F-15E "Strike Eagle" twin-seat fighter was shot down over Iran, two pilots ejected and escaped by parachute. About six hours later, U.S. forces risked "heavy fire" to rescue one pilot.
Another pilot was injured and hiding in the mountains. More than ten hours later, U.S. forces located him through the tracking device he carried and prepared for a rescue.
Approximately 100 U.S. special forces soldiers participated in rescuing the second pilot, mainly from the Navy SEAL Team 6, with Army Delta Force and Rangers as backups, supported by a fleet of helicopters, reconnaissance planes, fighters, and tankers.
After confirming the pilot's location and ensuring it was not a trap set by Iran, U.S. forces launched the operation. When the helicopter arrived at the pilot's hiding place, U.S. and Israeli aircraft bombed the surrounding area.
The U.S. helicopter carried the rescued pilot and special forces soldiers to a makeshift runway inside Iran. This sandy runway was built earlier by U.S. special forces for potential rescue missions or other emergencies.
Two C-130 military transport planes were on standby on the runway, ready to transport the rescued pilot and other U.S. personnel to Kuwait. However, U.S. officials said that at least one, if not more,