'Cover to steal enriched uranium’: Iran's shocking claim on US operation to rescue downed airman

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday said there were "several questions and uncertainties" vis a vis operation. 

Iran's foreign ministry claimed on Monday that a United States rescue operation of F-15E airman, whose jet was brought down over Iranian territory by Tehran's force, could have been a cover to "steal enriched uranium" from the Islamic Republic. 

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced that American special forces successfully rescued the second crew member of an F-15E fighter jet that crashed in Iran on March 3, in what he described as a "daring" search and rescue operation.  

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday said there were "several questions and uncertainties" vis a vis operation. 

"The area where the American pilot was claimed to be present in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province is a long way from the area where they attempted to land or wanted to land their forces in central Iran," Baghaei said.

He further claimed, "The possibility that this was a deception operation to steal enriched uranium should not be ignored at all," adding that the operation was "a disaster" for the America. 

Meanwhile, Iran's military has descrbed it "a deception and escape mission", insisting it was "completely foiled".

It added that multiple US aircraft were forced to make emergency landings in southern Isfahan after getting hits during the mission, and that American forces subsequently carried out heavy bombardment on the downed aircraft.

A US Air Force officer whose fighter jet was downed in Iran was successfully rescued in a daring night-time operation. While President Donald Trump claimed that no lives were lost during the mission, it was not without cost, as US forces reportedly destroyed their own aircraft during the retreat.

According to a US official cited by The Wall Street Journal, two MC-130J transport planes, typically used for covert infiltration and extraction behind enemy lines, were deployed in the operation. The official said one of the aircraft appeared to have become immobilised during the mission, though no further details were provided on how this occurred.

As per the US official, it became urgent to destroy the two aircraft in order to prevent them falling into Iranian hands.