A U.S. military pilot rescue mission in Iran was nearly compromised after two MC-130 special operations aircraft experienced mechanical failures and became unable to take off. This unexpected development left a portion of the rescue team at risk of being stranded within Iranian territory. A U.S. official described the situation as a genuinely "nerve-wracking" critical moment during the entire operation.

With time running short and the risk of exposure increasing, military commanders decided to dispatch additional aircraft to evacuate the team in stages. The rescue squad waited anxiously for several hours before the contingency plan was successfully executed.

After the evacuation was complete, the U.S. military ensured that sensitive equipment was not left behind by destroying the two disabled aircraft on-site. The equipment destroyed included the two malfunctioning MC-130 planes and an additional four helicopters.