Image source, Getty Images
Just four days ago, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth claimed that America had achieved air superiority over Iran and that now the US’s large B-52 bombers could fly there with ease.
However, before these bombers could take flight, Iran secured its biggest victory against the US so far – by shooting down an American fighter jet in its own airspace.
The downed aircraft was not a large bomber but a smaller, more agile and faster fighter jet.
One crew member of the F-15 jet was rescued, but another remains missing. If Iran has taken him captive, the situation could become serious for the US.
It is likely that Iran will showcase the missing crew member on television, an act that may harden American public opinion against the war with Iran. Amid rising fuel prices and the recent deaths of 13 US soldiers, public sentiment in America is already tense.
US President Donald Trump has not managed to clarify the ongoing conflict within the US and worldwide, and his announced goals of regime change remain unachieved.
Trump has stated that despite the downed fighter jet, ongoing negotiations with Tehran will not be affected.
However, if the missing crew members are captured, the situation could change instantly. Even though militarily weakened, Iran remains a significant military and political headache for Trump.
Search and Rescue Operations Are Risky
BBC’s chief international correspondent Liz Dusset describes the current situation as risky.
Despite years of training, any American operation to rescue missing personnel in such conditions would be perilous, she says.
She also points out that the associated political risks are equally significant.
If Iran captures those individuals and puts them on television, Tehran will score a major propaganda victory, causing political embarrassment and concern in the US.
“This would give Tehran a wartime prisoner, which would be a powerful tool strengthening it while efforts to prevent war are stalling.”
Any US retaliation will not be without risks for Iran, the broader region, and the world.
Within the past five to seven weeks, the US and Israel have seriously degraded Iran’s military capabilities.
However, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s frequent claims of full air superiority have yet to be proven conclusively.
Nuclear Threat
Image source, EPA
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has warned that any radioactive leakage would end life in the Gulf region.
He made these comments concerning recent attacks near the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
On social media, he said, “Remember the outrage shown by Western countries when fighting broke out near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant? Israel and the US have bombed our Bushehr facility four times already.”
“If radioactive contamination occurs there, there will be no life in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) capitals, not only in Tehran. The attack on our petrochemical industry also reveals clear intentions.”
The GCC includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The US and Israel have not confirmed responsibility for these attacks.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the global nuclear oversight body, has acknowledged awareness of the Bushehr attacks and expressed “grave concern.”
So far, no increase in radioactivity levels has been detected.
The IAEA has called for “no attacks under any circumstances” at the nuclear facilities and surrounding areas and urged maximum military caution.
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