Abdel Bari Atwan

Four days after the American president proudly and arrogantly announced the destruction of Iran’s air and naval forces, Iran responded quickly and on the ground by shooting down three fighter jets: the stealth “F-35”, worth over $500 million; the “F-15” strike fighter, worth no less than $100 million; and the “A-10”, a ground attack aircraft worth more than $30 million.

The downing of these three aircraft within 36 hours, and before that, the downing of two refuelling aircraft for fighters in the air, as well as the destruction of the AWACS warning aircraft equipped with the most important electronic surveillance devices that detect planes and missiles from a distance of 400 kilometres, which were stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, each valued at approximately 600 million dollars, has come as a shock to the American and Israeli leaderships, who had assumed Iran did not have them, particularly Russian missiles of the “S-300” and perhaps “S-400” varieties, as well as domestically built Iranian antiaircraft missiles of the “Khordad 15” type. There are also unsubstantiated claims that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has acquired very advanced Chinese surveillance devices, as well as other secret weapons that have yet to be employed.

The significance of these military defence accomplishments confirms the beginning of the end for American-Israeli air superiority, closes a significant gap in Iran’s air defence wall, and debunks the myth of the “F-35” stealth aircraft, which is considered the “pride” of American military industries and their crown jewel. It instills anxiety and frustration in most, if not all, international air defences throughout the world since they are difficult to identify and intercept using radars.

The most significant and arguably vital development in the last two days of the Iranian battle is that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has likely apprehended one of the American F-15 bomber pilots who was shot down yesterday after parachuting from his plane. This means opening an Iranian hostage bank in a secure underground location, which would be a major shock to President Trump and his administration; weaken his leadership and negotiating position; escalate the anger of the American public who despise him; and demand an immediate end to the Iranian war, considering it an illegal Israeli war, with no comprehensive plan for it, no achievement of any of its goals, especially the overthrow of the Iranian regime, and no hope of

If the initial rumours concerning the likely capture of the aforementioned pilot are correct, the Iranian leadership will suddenly have a very valuable and irreplaceable negotiating chip. Since there are no Iranian hostages held by either side of the aggression, Israeli or American, we do not rule out the release of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was kidnapped along with his wife by the elite “Delta” unit of the American army in a staged terrorist operation.

US President Donald Trump has become embroiled in this conflict, which is escalating both materially and morally. His army is rebelling against him, refusing to accept his instructions, forcing him to dismiss his leaders, most notably the army’s chief of staff and two senior generals who are among his closest associates. He is thus breaking the oldest military rule in history, which instructs leaders not to change horses in the midst of battle, in protest of his dictatorship and submission to the dictates of Benjamin Netanyahu; his army’s Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, and his Minister of War, Israel Katz, who is more Zionist than the two and has become their puppet.
The Iranian leadership, known for its long patience and legendary endurance, is on the verge of winning a historic victory by defeating the aggressor, thwarting all of its objectives, and, most significantly, destroying Israel’s security and military monopoly. This involves bombing and destroying its key occupied cities, such as Tel Aviv, Haifa, Akka, Eilat, and Dimona, which is regarded as the safest owing to its nuclear weapons.
The countdown to the collapse of the American empire and its Israeli protectorate has begun, and credit for this historic achievement will be engraved on the honour roll of Iran’s Resistance Axis. The days are passing us by.