The rescue of two U.S. Air Force officers in Iran was both a military success and "a miracle," but the administration should reveal as little as possible about how the operation was carried out, Rep. John McGuire, R-Va., told Newsmax Monday.
The comments came after the military pulled off a high-risk rescue of two airmen after an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran, with the CIA using a deception campaign and U.S. forces blowing up two transport planes that could not be recovered because of a technical malfunction.
One injured crew member climbed about 7,000 feet before being located, and the mission encountered fire on rescue aircraft during the extraction.
"Well, I'd say it is a miracle," McGuire, a former Navy SEAL, told "National Report."
"You know, not just our Navy SEAL brothers, but our intelligence analysts, Air Force Pararescue, and all the different agencies, all the different military units working as a team is why they got this done."
McGuire said the operation reflected the military ethic he learned in uniform.
"You know, for the military, where we come from, it's not about me. It's about we," he said.
"We never leave a man or woman behind, and we always get the job done."
McGuire added that commanders adapted when the mission changed.
"The commanders have to have options," he said. "And when they couldn't get those airplanes out because they had other options, they were able to get it done successfully."
But McGuire broke with those who want the White House and Pentagon to disclose more about the rescue, even as new reporting has filled in details about the CIA deception effort and the stranded aircraft.
Trump has celebrated the mission publicly, writing in a post on Truth Social that the U.S. would "NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!" after the rescue of the missing officer.
McGuire said that was enough information for the public.
"When I served in the Navy SEALs ... it was very, very strong. You did not talk about your missions and what you did," he said.
"We should just know that our military is the best. They work as a team, and we got our man," McGuire continued.
"That's all you should know. We should not give the enemy any information."
The situation remains volatile. Trump has warned Iran over the Strait of Hormuz in a series of Truth Social posts, including one threatening far harsher U.S. action if Iran disrupts oil flows through the waterway, while news reports Monday said he defended a profanity-laced Easter message aimed at Tehran.
Asked about the backlash to Trump's Easter Truth Social post, McGuire said the president's larger objective was unmistakable.
"President Trump is serious. He wants to put an end to this terrorist regime," he said.
"He wants peace, and not just in the region, but the world. I think that his message was delivered loud and clear over the weekend by ... the actions of our U.S. military."
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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