How will Donald Trump deliver his speech on Iran? The question arises as an American pilot is still actively sought after on this Saturday, April 4, by both Tehran and Washington, after his plane crashed Friday in southwestern Iran. Tehran claims to have shot it down. While the American president predicts an imminent American victory, the Iranians have shown their ability to respond.
In the United States, the dismissal of this high-ranking military by Trump supporters confirms their tendency towards a “purge.”
Raising concerns in the American press, starting with NBC News, which does not hesitate to speak of a “turn in the war.” “Less than 48 hours after the president told Americans that the military had ‘defeated and completely decimated Iran,’ Tehran shot down an F-15E fighter bomber,” notes the channel on its site.
Pointing out the contradictions between the reassuring speeches of the executive branch and the “sad reality,” NBC News observes that the Iranian military capabilities are apparently “sufficient to cause considerable damage” to Americans and their allies in the Middle East.
This assessment of Iranian capabilities is shared by CNN. The channel highlights the fact that the statements of Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, his Defense Secretary, about American “predominance” over Tehran, have not aged well. The Pentagon chief had notably mentioned “total control of Iranian airspace” by Washington, asserting that “Iran can’t do anything about it.”
“Iran could use this as a means of pressure”
The downed plane in Iran and the still sought-after pilot do not mean that “Iran suddenly finds itself on an equal military footing,” explains CNN, but the whole sequence “underscores the dangers of asymmetric warfare,” causing concern among some Americans, explaining their reluctance to engage in military interventions abroad.
The New York Times is not more optimistic. The leading American newspaper expresses concern about the impact the capture of the American soldier by Tehran could have. “Iran could use this as a means of pressure on the United States,” warns the journalist from the title, before recalling that the Islamic Republic has already relied on hostages to achieve its goals.
The article notably mentions the crisis of American hostages — “a traumatic event in American history” — when about fifty diplomats and civilians were held hostage at the US embassy in Tehran for 444 days. Regarding the case of the American pilot sought after in Iran, the New York Times considers two scenarios.
“If the capture remains secret,” the Iranians could seek a “backroom agreement” by “demanding concessions” from Washington, the newspaper presents, based on the analysis of an Iranian security expert. The other option for Tehran would be to “parade the captured pilot” “in front of the cameras for propaganda purposes.” One thing is certain: both outcomes would be catastrophic for the White House, which prefers not to take any risks and is determined to ensure the soldier is found.
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