So they landed 2 x C130 with probably 2 x 2 MH6 little bird helicopters inside (that is how many it can accommodate with rotors folded) and these helicopters and plane were totalled by US forces when IRGC units arrived and started a firefight and no one even were injured. Those MH6s have 2 crew members and 6 Special Forces soldiers each. C130 have a crew of 2-5 as well. That makes 36-40 men landed and their aircrafts were destroyed. But they all survived.
Then they were all extracted to safety with the one rescued pilot. (Do we know how the extraction occurred?)
That only happens in films!!
Going back to
@TR_123456 ’s comments; If you have total air superiority and total control of enemy airspace over the area, any well trained special forces of a modern army can attempt such a rescue operation. But the area has to be well cleansed from ground forces too. Otherwise you lose aircrafts and personnel.
You send men in the land forces to attack heavily fortified enemy lines, knowing very well that many will not survive. Same logic has to be applied to airforce too. It is not good logic to put 40 men in to danger to save one. This is war!