CIA used Ghost Murmur and PegasusGhost Murmur and Pegasus to rescue downed US airman from Iran

A US F-15E fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday, February 28, during an ongoing war, leading to the pilot's quick rescue but leaving the weapons systems officer missing for nearly two days. The CIA located him using the classified Ghost Murmur technology, which detects heartbeats from afar, while deploying Pegasus spyware and fabricated transmissions to deceive Iranian forces into searching wrong areas. US special forces, backed by drones, strikes, and Israeli intelligence, extracted the injured airman late Saturday under heavy fire.

This operation highlights advanced US surveillance and deception tactics in active combat, marking the first use of Ghost Murmur and escalating tensions in the US-Iran war. It involved hundreds of commandos, destroyed aircraft to avoid capture, and coordination with Israel, which paused strikes to aid the mission, demonstrating deepened allied support amid the conflict.