US forces carried out a high-risk mission to recover the pilot and weapon systems officer of an F-15 fighter jet -- the first crewed American warplane shot down over Iran in more than five weeks of combat.
President Donald Trump said last week that US-Israeli operations had left Iran with "no anti-aircraft equipment" or radars, but the Islamic republic's forces subsequently shot down the F-15 and heavily damaged another plane during the rescue mission.
kAm|@C6 E92? `f_ p>6C:42? 2:C4C27E 2?5 D@>6 a__ EC@@AD E@@< A2CE :? E96 @A6C2E:@? E@ C6D4F6 E96 u\`d 4C6H >6>36CD[ %CF>A D2:5 |@?52J[ 2? 677@CE E92E :?4=F565 2DD:DE2?46 7C@> E96 r6?EC2= x?E6==:86?46 p86?4J]k^Am
k9am\ u\`d D9@E 5@H? \k^9am
kAm%CF>A D2:5 E96 u\`d H2D D9@E 5@H? 3J 2 D9@F=56C\7:C65 962E\D66<:?8 >:DD:=6[ H:E9 E96 ;6EVD EH@\A6CD@? 4C6H 6;64E:?8 2?5 =2?5:?8 :? 5:776C6?E =@42E:@?D :?D:56 xC2?:2? E6CC:E@CJ @? uC:52J >@C?:?8 =@42= E:>6]k^Am
kAmQx :>>65:2E6=J H2D 2D<65 E@ >2<6 2 564:D:@?[Q %CF>A E@=5 2 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46] Qx @C56C65 E96 &$ 2C>65 7@C46D E@ 5@ H92E6G6C H2D ?646DD2CJ E@ 3C:?8 @FC 3C2G6 H2CC:@CD 324< 9@>6]Qk^Am
k9am\ !:=@E C6D4F65 \k^9am
kAm|@C6 E92? a_ >:=:E2CJ 2:C4C27E H6C6 5:DA2E4965 E@ C64@G6C E96 u\`d A:=@E[ 7=J:?8 @G6C xC2? 2?5 724:?8 962GJ 6?6>J 7:C6[ %CF>A D2:5]k^Am
kAmv6?6C2= s2? r2:?6 \\ E96 E@A &$ >:=:E2CJ @77:46C[ H9@ DA@<6 2=@?8D:56 %CF>A \\ D2:5 E96D6 7@C46D Q2F524:@FD=J A6?6EC2E65 6?6>J E6CC:E@CJ :? 3C@25 52J=:89E E@ 7:?5[ 7:I 2?5 C64@G6CQ E96 A:=@E]k^Am
kAm%96 A:=@E H2D A:4<65 FA 3J 2 7=:89E @7 C6D4F6 96=:4@AE6CD[ 3FE E96D6 2:C4C27E H6C6 E96? Q6?82865 3J 6G6CJ D:?8=6 A6CD@? :? xC2? H9@ 925 2 D>2== 2C>D H62A@?[Q E96 86?6C2= D2:5] ~?6 96=:4@AE6C H2D 9:E 2?5 E96 4C6H DFDE2:?65 >:?@C :?;FC:6D 3FE Q2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 7:?6]Qk^Am
kAmQ%9:D H2D 2? :?4C65:3=J 52?86C@FD >:DD:@?[Q r2:?6 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ p\`_ 52>2865[ =@DE \k^9am
kAm&$ p\`_ 8C@F?5 2EE24< 2:C4C27E H6C6 A2CE @7 E96 C6D4F6 677@CE[ QG:@=6?E=J DFAAC6DD:?8 2?5 6?828:?8 E96 6?6>J :? 2 4=@D6\:? 8F?7:89EQ E@ <66A xC2?:2? 7@C46D 2H2J 7C@> E96 5@H?65 A:=@E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ r2:?6]k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 E96 p\`_D H2D 9:E 3J 6?6>J 7:C6 3FE 4@?E:?F65 7:89E:?8] xED A:=@E E96? 7=6H E96 A=2?6 E@ 2? F?:56?E:7:65 4@F?ECJ 2?5 56E6C>:?65 E96 2:C4C27E H2D ?@E :? =2?523=6 4@?5:E:@?]k^Am
kAm%92E A:=@E 6;64E65 @G6C 7C:6?5=J E6CC:E@CJ 2?5 92D 366? D276=J C64@G6C65[ r2:?6 D2:5]k^Am
k9am\ rxp 5646AE:@? \k^9am
kAmu:?5:?8 E96 D64@?5 4C6H >6>36C \\ E96 H62A@? DJDE6>D @77:46C[ H9@ D:ED 369:?5 E96 A:=@E \\ H2D 2 >:DD:@? E92E rxp s:C64E@C y@9? #2E4=:776 =:<6?65 E@ Q9F?E:?8 7@C 2 D:?8=6]]] 8C2:? @7 D2?5 :? E96 >:55=6 @7 2 56D6CE]Qk^Am
kAmQ%9:D H2D]]] 2 C246 282:?DE E96 4=@4<[ 2D :E H2D 4C:E:42= E92E H6 =@42E6 E96 5@H?65 2G:2E@C 2D BF:4<=J 2D A@DD:3=6[ H9:=6 2E E96 D2>6 E:>6 <66A:?8 @FC 6?6>:6D >:D5:C64E65[Q #2E4=:776 E@=5 E96 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46]k^Am
kAm%96 rxp Q6I64FE65 2 5646AE:@? 42>A2:8? E@ 4@?7FD6 E96 xC2?:2?D[ H9@ H6C6 56DA6C2E6=J 9F?E:?8 7@C @FC 2:C>6?[Q H9@> (2D9:?8E@? =@42E65 2D @7 $2EFC52J >@C?:?8[ #2E4=:776 D2:5[ H:E9@FE AC@G:5:?8 56E2:=D @? E96 5646AE:@? 677@CED]k^Am
k9am\ $64@?5 C6D4F6 \k^9am
kAm%96 H62A@? DJDE6>D @77:46C H2D :?;FC65 3FE >2?2865 E@ 6G256 xC2?:2? 7@C46D[ EC2G6CD6 C@F89 E6CC2:?[ EC62E 9:D @H? H@F?5D 2?5 4@?E24E p>6C:42? 7@C46D H:E9 9:D =@42E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ %CF>A[ H9@ D2:5 >@C6 E92? `d_ 2:C4C27E H6C6 5:DA2E4965 2D A2CE @7 E96 D64@?5 C6D4F6 677@CE]k^Am
kAmQp =@E @7 :E H2D DF3E6C7F86] (6 H2?E65 E@ 92G6 E96> E9:?< 96 H2D :? 2 5:776C6?E =@42E:@? 3642FD6 E96J 925 2 G2DE >:=:E2CJ 7@C46 @FE E96C6[Q %CF>A D2:5]k^Am
kAm~?46 E96 4C6H >6>36C H2D =@42E65[ EH@ =2C86 &$ A=2?6D \\ C6A@CE65=J r\`b_D \\ 7=6H :? 42CCJ:?8 6BF:A>6?E :?4=F5:?8 E9C66 D>2== 96=:4@AE6CD E92E H6C6 BF:4<=J C63F:=E @? E96 8C@F?5]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 =2C86C 2:C4C27E 3642>6 3@8865 5@H? :? D2?5 2?5 4@F=5 ?@E E2<6 @77[ C6BF:C:?8 D>2==6C A=2?6D E@ 7=J @FE E96 &$ A6CD@??6= :? >F=E:A=6 EC:AD]k^Am
kAmp:C4C27E :?4=F5:?8 E96 r\`b_D H6C6 C6A@CE65=J 56DEC@J65 @? E96 8C@F?5 E@ <66A E96> 7C@> 72==:?8 :?E@ 6?6>J 92?5D \\ 3C:?8:?8 E96 AC:46 E28 7@C E96 =@DE 2:C4C27E E@ @G6C Sad_ >:==:@?]k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? d_ 9@FCD 27E6C E96 DE2CE @7 C6D4F6 677@CED[ 3@E9 @7 E96 5@H?65 u\`d 4C6H >6>36CD H6C6 324< :? 7C:6?5=J E6CC:E@CJ[ r2:?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ%96D6 EH@ @A6C2E:@?D C67=64E @FC ?2E:@?VD >@DE D24C65 @3=:82E:@? E@ @FC >:=:E2CJ D6CG:46 >6>36CD[Q r2:?6 D2:5] Q(6 =62G6 ?@ @?6 369:?5]Qk^Am
kAmH5^>;7^D=2k^Am
