US Warned Iran Still a Formidable Foe Amid Conflict

On Friday, El País noted that the United States received the clearest warning to date that the war against Iran is far from over despite President Donald Trump’s promises, and Tehran remains a formidable adversary.

For the first time in five weeks of conflict, the Islamic Republic shot down two American military planes on Friday, despite statements from Defense Minister Pete Hegseth and other officials claiming the US had established air dominance over Iran, according to Axios.

The first plane, an F-15 fighter jet with two crew members on board, was downed by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and the crew managed to eject on time. “One of the two was rescued a few hours later by American helicopters, but the whereabouts of the second one are unknown,” as reported by El País.

Generous Reward Offered

American forces are actively searching for the missing pilot, as are Iranian forces, who have offered “a generous reward” for any information leading to his location and have sealed off an area in the southwest province of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, where they suspect [the American] was ejected, reports The Times of Israel.

The second plane, an A-10 Warthog attack aircraft, “crashed near the Strait of Hormuz at almost the same time as the F-15E, and the pilot was recovered safe and sound,” according to The New York Times, citing two American officials.

While the cause of the crash was not specified by American officials, the Iranian military claimed it was hit by their air defense systems. “American officials did not specify in which country the plane crashed,” noted the American newspaper.

Pentagon Quiet, Trump Brief

These developments “contradict earlier claims by the Trump administration that American forces had gained aerial superiority over Iran, raising immediate questions about the extent of the arsenal the country still possesses after a month of targeted strikes on regime weapon installations,” observed The Washington Post.

The Pentagon declined to comment, and Donald Trump was brief on Friday evening in his communications with the media. When asked by NBC News if Friday’s events would “impact negotiations with Iran,” the president responded, “No, not at all. No, it’s war. We are at war.”

In another brief phone call with The Independent, Mr. Trump “refused to specify what his course of action would be” if the pilot being searched for “were to be captured or injured by the Iranians. ‘I cannot comment on that because we hope it will not happen,’ he said.

Someone Seen Our Pilots?

“Combat search and rescue operations are among the most perilous missions carried out by the American military,” noted The Washington Post. “Helicopters and planes used for these missions remain vulnerable to enemy fire,” as they operate “at low altitudes and rely on other armed aircraft for protection,” the newspaper explained.

In fact, two American search and rescue helicopters were also hit by Iranian fire on Friday, injuring US personnel on board. But both aircraft safely returned to their base, according to the capital’s newspaper.

In Tehran, far from American silence, irony was used, and the President of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, did not hesitate to “ridicule the event,” mocking Donald Trump’s multiple claims that the United States had won the war, as noted by Le Soir.

On their X account, it was stated, “After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, the theme of this brilliant strategy-less war they have triggered has now shifted from ‘regime change’ to ‘Someone seen our pilots? Please?.”