Tasnim news agency, citing informed sources, reported that the United States has shifted its approach from rescue to elimination after failing to locate the missing pilot of a downed fighter jet over Iran.
Iranian forces successfully struck two US warplanes over Iranian territory on Friday, dealing a sharp blow to Washington’s aggression and exposing the true cost of the American escalation.
US officials confirmed that one crew member has been found, while the other remains missing. The incident underscores the vulnerability of US forces despite claims of “overwhelming military superiority."
The downed aircraft included an F-15E Strike Eagle and an A-10C Thunderbolt II, both critical tools in the US war machine. The F-15E, designed for both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions, represents decades of American military investment, costing over $31 million in 1998 constant dollars.
Newer F-15 models can approach $100 million each. The A-10C, specialized for close air support, adds another $9.8 million to the tally, highlighting the financial and human cost of US aggression in the region.
Sources told Tasnim that several American fighter jets bombed multiple areas in the Kohgiluyeh district of Kohgiluyeh province late Saturday night, under the belief that the missing pilot was present there.
The sources explained that Washington has "given up on finding the second pilot" and is now attempting to kill him through targeted bombings.
Civilian casualties reported
The Governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province confirmed that US missile strikes in the region led to the martyrdom of three civilians and injuries to two others. According to the source, this will turn into a "new scandal of cover-up and lies for the United States."
Since the start of Operation True Promise 4, Washington has attempted to portray the campaign as a decisive strike against Iran. Yet the repeated losses of high-value aircraft and ongoing Iranian resistance reveal the fragility of American claims of success. Iranian forces continue to defend their airspace, demonstrating the resilience of the country’s missile and defense capabilities against US and Israeli aggression.
According to Analyst Matthew Chance, the shootdown of a US F-15E Strike Eagle over Iran marks a significant shift in the trajectory of the war on Iran. Chance notes that it exposes the growing vulnerability of American forces and the limits of Washington’s claims of air superiority.
CNN’s analysis describes the incident as the first confirmed case of a US warplane being brought down over Iranian territory since the start of the war, a development widely seen as a turning point in the war.
The episode unfolded alongside a broader pattern of operational setbacks. Around the same time, a US A-10 Thunderbolt II went down near the Strait of Hormuz, with US officials providing limited details on the circumstances, while Iranian authorities said the aircraft had been tracked and targeted by their integrated air defense systems.
Source:Websites
