Inside the daring rescue of airman behind enemy lines: How CIA assisted with 'deception campaign'

Details about the rescue are trickling in, including senior administration officials telling Fox News how the CIA deflected enemy attention with a "deception campaign."

The CIA spread word in Iran through multiple sources that U.S. forces had already found the second of two airmen who ejected from their F-15, and were moving him out of Iran in a maritime exfiltration elsewhere, sources told Fox News, but that was designed to buy time to find the stranded weapons system officer.

There was initial fear the "beacon signal" was an Iranian "trap," sources said.

"There was a lot at stake here," the source said.

Once the CIA confirmed Saturday morning that this was not a trap, the missing airman was located using advanced technical capabilities.

"Within eight hours, we had planes in motion," the source said. "Within almost 12 hours we were on the ground in Iran.

"We've seen before what they do with prisoners. We were going to expend every effort to make sure we got to him first."

The U.S. used MQ9 Reaper drones to protect the area around where the airman was hiding and fired on anything that came close to that area and any area where U.S. forces were operating to prevent crowds or any Iranians from approaching, sources confirmed to Fox News.

"We executed multiple large-scale strikes in the surrounding area using every tactical jet in the U.S. inventory and B-1 Bombers to keep him safe," according to a senior U.S. official.

Trump saluted the complex operation to exfiltrate the "highly respected colonel."

"This type of raid is seldom attempted because of the danger to 'man and equipment.' It just doesn't happen!" Trump said. "The second raid came after the first one, where we rescued the pilot in broad daylight, also unusual, spending seven hours over Iran. An AMAZING show of bravery and talent by all!"

One night earlier, Trump hailed "one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History."

"This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue," he said.

Several aircraft were destroyed during the U.S. rescue mission, Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards claimed Sunday according to the Tasnim news agency. An Iranian military spokesperson said a C-130 military transport plane and two Black Hawk helicopters were among the downed craft.

Israeli intelligence had assisted the CIA in determining the location of the missing WSO and removing doubt about an Iranian "trap," halting its attacks in the area to facilitate the mission, an Israeli security official told Reuters.

The weekend rescue left Trump resolute in swift and decisive victory amid a 10-day deadline to reopen the Hormuz Strait to oil tankers, issuing a stunning expletive-laced warning Sunday morning.

"Open the F--in' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah," he added.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin, Trey Yingst and Reuters contributed to this report.