‘Finding needle in haystack’: Trump says ‘four bombers, 64 jets, 48 refueling tanker, 13 rescue aircraft used to evacuate US pilot from Iran

Sharing details of the rescue operation, US President Donald Trump said that the second rescue mission in Iran involved 155 US aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refuelling tankers and 13 rescue aircraft.

US President Donald Trump on Monday addressed the media about America’s rescue mission in Iran to evacuate one missing pilot due to Tehran's downing of American fighter jets. Trump also reiterated his claim that Iran can be taken out in a single night. Referring to Tuesday night’s deadline for attacks against Iranian energy and transportation infrastructure if Iran doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump hinted at attacks of massive scale. Talking about the US rescue operation in Iran's Isfahan, Trump said that finding the US pilot was like finding a needle in the haystack but American armed forces made it possible.

"The entire country can be taken out in one night – and that night might be tomorrow night," he said. 

Sharing details of the rescue operation, Trump said that the second rescue mission in Iran involved 155 US aircraft, including four bombers, 64 fighter jets, 48 refuelling tankers and 13 rescue aircraft. He said that the US sent 200 personnel to carry out the rescue operation. 

"We are here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing combat searches ever attempted by the military...You send in 200 men to pick up one and it's something that's usually not attempted. This is a rescue that's very historic,” said Trump.

Hailing the operation that led to the rescue of US airmen in Iran as “historic”, Trump said. “I ordered the American armed forces to do whatever was necessary to bring our brave warriors back home.” 

US President Donald Trump also warned the journalist who reported about missing US pilot saying that the leaker would be punished as it's a matter of national security. "As you probably know, we didn't talk about the first one for an hour. Then somebody leaked something, which we'll hopefully find the leaker...It became a much more difficult operation because a leaker leaked that we have one, we've rescued one, but there's another one out there that we're trying to get...The person who did the story will go to jail if he doesn't say, and that doesn't last long...They put that man at great risk, and they put the hundreds of people who went in looking for him..." said Trump.

The US President also said that American forces have struck more than 13,000 targets in Iran. “Over the past 37 days, America’s armed forces have carried out more than 10,000 combat flights over Iran – unheard of, hitting over 13,000 targets,” said the US president.

Trump also said that the US F-15 that was downed last week in Iran 'was the first manned aircraft downed by the enemy in this entire operation'.

Talking about the US deception strategy, Trump said, "We wanted to have them think he was in a different location because they had a vast military force out there. Thousands of people were looking."