India, April 6 -- America's top intelligence officers are being hailed after they rescued two Air Force officers who had ejected into enemy territory after Iran downed a US military jet. Officers rushed to help as soon as the news reached Langley, Virginia.

The pilot of the F-15E Strike Eagle was soon rescued. However, the US military struggled to locate a second crew member, a weapons systems officer. This triggered a frantic race to locate him before Iranian forces did.

According to The New York Times, the CIA developed a deception plan to buy time to find the missing airman. They planned to keep the Iranians away from where he might be, a senior administration official said. The CIA typically assists with efforts to rescue American p...