BREAKING: US Fighter Jet Shot Down, Iran Says
One of the pilots has reportedly been rescued. Various administration officials fear a potential hostage crisis could easily drag Donald Trump into a longer war.
Iran says it has shot down a US F-15 fighter jet. One of the two pilots has reportedly been rescued by US forces, according to Axios.
Iranian state media has apparently issued a public call for residents to help locate and capture the pilots, with a reward offered for anyone who helps recover them alive.
By Friday morning, there was a mad dash inside the Trump administration to figure out what was going on and the whereabouts of the American crew, following the launch of a search and rescue operation. The Pentagon did not immediately confirm or deny the Iranian accounts, but sources in the Department of Defense and White House tell Zeteo that they are treating the situation as very real.
One senior Trump administration official – who is among the many on Team Trump who quietly view the war as a disaster that, if prolonged, could bring down the administration – bemoans that a potential hostage situation is one of the scenarios that various officials have feared for weeks: a situation that could inspire President Donald Trump to escalate further instead of attempting to wind down the American war effort.
Even as Trump assures the American people that he wishes to be done with his Middle East “excursion” soon, he has repeatedly warmed to (only to quickly then cool on) the idea of sending in ground troops, an Iran invasion for which his administration has indeed very much prepared. Several senior US officials who spoke to Zeteo believe that a particularly aggressive move by the Iranians, or other factors that Trump may read as a personal humiliation, could easily nudge him back in the direction of extending his war or invading.
The news of the downed jet came a day after the Trump administration attacked civilian infrastructure in Iran – blowing up a bridge, killing eight people and wounding at least 95 – and bragged about it on social media. Trump pledged to carry out more war crimes: “Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants!”
As news developed about Iran downing a US fighter jet, Trump posted gleefully on social media about the thought of taking over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has effectively shut down the crucial waterway, stopping the flow of oil and throttling the global economy. US allies have, thus far, refused to join in on any mission to clear the strait – which would be exceedingly dangerous.
Trump suggested in his primetime address on Wednesday evening that he would leave it to other countries to open the strait. Yet, on Friday morning, he posted, “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A “GUSHER” FOR THE WORLD??? President DONALD J. TRUMP”
This story has been updated.
Check out more from Zeteo:
“We have the best greatest total complete perfect A+ lethal amazing incredible unbelievable air superiority ever in the history of the universe. Nobody has ever seen anything like it.” [Falls asleep; begins drooling.]
And the first thing the Pentagon did was say it hadn't happened.