What started as a rumor is now confirmed by the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and US officials: during the rescue of the F-15E Colonel, two MC-130J special operations aircraft got stuck on a makeshift airstrip inside Iranian territory. Each one worth over $100 million. To prevent them from falling into Iranian hands, commanders ordered them destroyed. They also destroyed an MH-6 Little Bird special operations helicopter.

Iran published photos and video of thick black smoke at the site, claiming its forces shot them down. But US officials told AP that the US destroyed them itself. Fox News reported at least one C-130 “got stuck in the mud.” The NYT described it as “a final twist” in an already chaotic operation. Three replacement planes had to be sent to extract all the commandos and the rescued Colonel.