Following the rescue of a downed airman in Iran, a former War Department official said that the rescue showed that the United States military is capable of penetrating deep into Iran at any time.

“This demonstrates to the Iranian leadership that we can get anywhere that we so choose and hold ground as long as we desire to accomplish a mission,” Brent Sadler, a retired Navy captain, said on “Fox & Friends Weekend” Sunday.

The chilling message was a warning to the Iranian regime that the U.S. is able to quickly move against and seize targets inside the country or to rescue personnel that are trapped behind enemy lines without the enemy even knowing that they are there – or even were there in the first place.

“Not only can we rescue our pilots, but we can also go to where we need to secure nuclear equipment or the remainders of their leadership.”

Sadler’s comments come after the rescue of a U.S. Air Force weapons system officer (WSO) early Sunday morning local time after roughly 36 hours in hiding.

The pilot and WSO ejected from an F-15E fighter jet when it was downed over the country on Friday. The pilot was rescued that morning.

Sadler also noted that the regional partners are playing a big part in the conflict, including Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan.