A U.S. Air Force colonel, whose identity remains undisclosed, faced a harrowing ordeal when he was shot down over Iran and spent 36 hours evading capture before being rescued. His brief, cryptic radio message raised alarms among U.S. officials, who worried it could be a trap.
After sustaining severe injuries, the colonel managed to scale a 7,000-foot ridge, finding refuge in a hidden crevice. There, he transmitted an unexpected three-word message: “God is good,” according to a U.S. defense source speaking to Axios.
Initially, President Trump and his advisors were concerned that this message might be a ploy to draw more American forces into perilous territory.
“The phrase he used sounded reminiscent of what a Muslim might say,” Trump shared with Axios, alluding to the common Islamic expression “Allahu Akbar,” which translates to “God is great.”
Despite these apprehensions, the U.S. military and intelligence teams successfully verified the officer’s position along the Zagros Mountains and initiated a rescue mission early on Sunday.
Following the successful extraction, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the officer’s words by posting “God is good” on X, celebrating the colonel’s safe recovery.
The US hailed the rescue efforts and commended the weapons officer, who was able to climb more than 1.3 miles and avoid detection by nearby Iranian fighters spurred by the chance to capture an American soldier and the $60,000 bounty placed on his head, the New York Times reported.
The colonel and his pilot, who was rescued just hours after their F-15E jet was shot down on Friday, are both in stable condition, Trump told reporters on Monday.
“They are both recovering very well. They were both injured, and they’re doing well,” he said.
The complex operation to rescue the colonel involved 100 special operations forces, led by SEAL Team 6, with Delta Force commandos and Army Rangers on standby, according to the Times.
The CIA reportedly assisted in pulling off a diversionary tactic that saw the US plant fake intel that the soldier had already been rescued and was being driven out of Iran, paving the way for the actual retrieval mission.
