Updated

A US pilot who was shot down over Iran gave his first interview since being rescued, describing the experience of 'free-falling' after his aircraft was hit. The April rescue mission to recover the downed aircrew marked the first US boots on the ground inside Iran in 46 years, according to American officials. The pilot's account offers new detail on a high-risk operation that underscored the direct military confrontation between the US and Iran during the recent conflict, and highlights the extraordinary measures taken to retrieve American personnel from Iranian territory.