🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — NEW: The U.S. rescue mission in Iran nearly failed after two MC-130 special operations aircraft used for infiltration "suffered mechanical failures" and could not take off, leaving part of the force at risk of being stranded—a “holy shit” moment, one official called it, Reuters reports.

➡️ Under cover of darkness, about 100 U.S. special operations troops infiltrated deep into Iran, moving through mountainous terrain south of Tehran and climbing a 7,000-foot ridge to reach the downed airman.

➡️ The F-15E crewmember, who had a sprained ankle, was hiding in a crevice and used his survival techniques after ejecting. Before extraction, he had to confirm his identity to reassure U.S. troops that they weren't being trapped.

➡️ Ahead of the operation, the CIA carried out a deception effort by spreading false information inside Iran suggesting the airman had already been found. During the mission, U.S. forces also jammed communications and struck nearby roads to keep others away from the rescue area.

➡️ After the MC-130s suffered mechanical failures, U.S. commanders deployed additional aircraft to extract the team in stages, forcing the rescue force to wait for hours before the backup plan worked.

➡️ U.S. forces then destroyed the disabled aircraft on the ground to prevent sensitive equipment from falling into Iranian hands, including two MC-130s and four helicopters.

🇦🇪🇮🇷⚡️ — NOW: UAE's Ministry of Defence:

UAE air defenses are currently responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran.

UPDATE: All clear.

🇮🇱❌🇱🇧 — Israeli airstrikes on Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon.

🇮🇱❌🇱🇧 — Lebanon’s Health Ministry says at least three people have been killed and three others wounded in the Israeli airstrike on Ain Saadeh in the Mount Lebanon Governorate.

🇮🇶🌞⚡️ — Photo of the home that was hit by a drone in Sulaymaniyah’s Bakhtiyari neighborhood, Iraqi Kurdistan.

🇧🇭🇮🇷🇺🇳⚡️ — Bahrain calls on the UN to pass a resolution authorizing force to open the Strait of Hormuz to avert a humanitarian and economic crisis.

🇮🇶🌞⚡️ — WATCH: Footage shows the moment a drone struck Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan.