CCP Media Make False Claims About US Rescue Mission in Iran

Trump says a missing crew member was rescued; days later, Chinese state media cite Iranian reports alleging that the rescue mission failed.

The official Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps website shows wreckage at what Iran's state TV claimed was the site of a downed U.S. transport plane and two helicopters involved in a rescue operation, in Isfahan province, Iran, in April 2026. Sepahnews via AP

Contradicting claims have spread online in recent days after a U.S. fighter jet was shot down over Iran amid the U.S.–Israeli conflict with the Iranian regime, with Chinese state media citing Iranian reports that the U.S. rescue mission had failed.

Just after midnight on April 5, U.S. President Donald Trump said the second crew member from a downed American F-15E fighter jet had been safely recovered, ending hours of uncertainty about the fate of the missing airman.

“WE GOT HIM,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, praising the rescue operations.

He said that the rescued officer was a “highly respected” colonel.

The incident began on April 3, after a U.S. F-15E fighter jet was shot down in Iranian airspace. Both crew members ejected from the aircraft. One was quickly rescued, while the second was initially reported missing, prompting a rapid search-and-rescue operation.

Chinese State Media Echo Iranian Claims

Despite Trump’s announcement, Chinese state media continued to circulate a starkly different account.

On April 5, Xinhua News Agency published a report citing Iranian military sources who claimed the U.S. rescue mission had “failed.” According to those reports, multiple U.S. aircraft—including Black Hawk helicopters and a C-130 transport plane—had been shot down during the operation.

Other Chinese media outlets, citing reports from China Central Television, went further, repeating an Iranian claim that U.S. forces, unable to locate the missing crew member, had attempted to bomb his suspected hiding place.

An unnamed Iranian military source was also quoted as saying that U.S. forces carried out air strikes overnight in areas of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, suggesting that Washington had grown “desperate” in its search, according to Chinese news portal Sina.

Questions About Credibility

The ongoing sharing of those claims—after Trump announced the rescue was successful—led to some backlash online, especially among Chinese-language users on X.

Several commentators accused Chinese state media of spreading unverified or misleading information.

One user, @BoDiplo, questioned whether major Chinese outlets had “sunk to this level of shameless depravity.”

Another user, @Xianzhong_1953, wrote that Chinese state media appeared to be acting as “propagandists” for the Iranian regime, criticizing its lack of editorial standards.

A third commentator, @tig88411109, speculated on the message behind the Chinese regime’s actions.

“For those serving in China’s military, you have to wonder how they reflect on their future when they see news like this,” he wrote. “Because this is the real message coming from the [Chinese] military leadership and propaganda apparatus: If something happens to you on the ground, don’t expect me to rescue you—don’t make trouble for me.”

Xia Song contributed to this report.