Will Donald Trump deliver his speech on Iran? The question arises as an American pilot remained actively sought after on Saturday, April 4th, both by Tehran and Washington, after his plane crashed on Friday in southwest Iran. Tehran claims to have shot it down. While the American president predicts an American victory is looming, the Iranians have demonstrated their ability to retaliate.
In the United States, the dismissal of this high-ranking military officer by Trump supporters confirms their tendency towards “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 army had ‘beaten and completely decimated Iran,’ Tehran shot down an F-15E fighter bomber,” the channel notes on its website.
Pointing out the contradictions between the reassuring speeches of the executive and the “sad reality,” NBC News observes that the Iranian military capabilities seem to be “sufficient to cause considerable damage” to Americans and their allies in the Middle East.
This observation on Iranian capabilities is shared by CNN. The channel notes that the statements by Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth, his defense minister, regarding American “predominance” over Tehran have not aged well. The Pentagon chief had notably mentioned “total control of Iranian airspace” by Washington, stating that “Iran will not be able to do anything about it.”
“Iran could use this as leverage”
The downed plane in Iran and the still sought-after pilot do not mean that “Iran suddenly finds itself on equal military footing,” explains CNN, but the entire sequence “underscores the dangers of asymmetric warfare,” which worries some Americans, explaining their reluctance to engage in military interventions abroad.
From the New York Times, the tone is no more optimistic. The leading American newspaper is concerned about the impact of the American soldier’s capture by Tehran. “Iran could use this as leverage against the United States,” warns the journalist from the headline, before recalling that the Islamic Republic has previously used hostages to achieve its goals.
The article notably mentions the crisis of American hostages – “a traumatic event in American history” – when fifty diplomats and civilians were held hostage in the US embassy in Tehran for 444 days. Regarding the case of the American pilot sought in Iran, the New York Times considers two scenarios.
“If the capture remains secret,” the Iranians could seek a “backroom deal” by “demanding concessions” from Washington, the newspaper suggests, relying on the analysis of an Iranian security expert. The other option for Tehran would be to “display the captured pilot” “in front of cameras for propaganda purposes.” One thing is certain: both outcomes would be catastrophic for the White House, which prefers not to take risks and ensures the soldier is found.
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