High-level sources have revealed to Fox News that amidst a rescue mission in Iran, following the downing of a U.S. fighter jet, the U.S. Central Command executed a strategic strike on an underground headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
During the daring rescue operation to recover the airman, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper ordered an attack on an IRGC facility located underground near Tehran. This operation utilized B2 bombers equipped with Massive Ordnance Penetrators, the same type of weaponry deployed in last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer. Sources indicate that the headquarters was completely destroyed.
To ensure the safety of the rescue mission, B1 bombers, known as BONES, dropped one hundred 2,000-pound bombs, effectively deterring Iranian forces from approaching the area, as confirmed by a senior U.S. defense official.
A senior military source emphasized the impact of the operation, stating to Fox News, “We delivered the heat on the IRGC.”
In a joint press conference with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth held at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida, on March 5, 2026, Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of Central Command, discussed the operation.
A CENTCOM press release confirmed that two service members were successfully rescued after their F-15E fighter jet was downed, highlighting the mission’s success.
Fox News was told that the operation took place between the two rescues: Cooper ordered the B2s to fly round trip from Whiteman Air Force Base in the U.S. because they received time-sensitive intelligence about the location of a large number of IRGC commanders inside this underground bunker in Tehran, and the Massive Ordnance Penetrators, bunker buster bombs, were dropped by the B2 warplanes.
Wreckage is seen from what Iranian authorities say is a U.S. military helicopter that crashed during a mission to rescue the missing American pilot of an F-15E that was downed, in a handout image provided on April 5, 2026, in an unspecified location in Iran. (Iran’s Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance/Handout via Getty Images)
Following the rescues, President Donald Trump declared in a Truth Social post, “We have rescued the seriously wounded, and really brave, F-15 Crew Member/Officer, from deep inside the mountains of Iran. The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close. He is a highly respected Colonel. This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to ‘man and equipment.’ It just doesn’t happen!”
“The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!” he said.
