Vivek

I know this is hard for Europeans to understand but the calculations are a little different when that’s not a picture of your entire air force

In rescue operations like this, the real calculus is chilling. Recovering even one pilot can become a national symbol of resolve, competence, and victory. But the image of a pilot as a prisoner of war can turn into a strategic humiliation, amplified globally in hours. That is why states accept losses that would otherwise seem irrational. Contrary to popular belief, the decision is rarely centred on the individual pilot, except within the military service itself. Viewed coldly, the costs often defy logic. But in practice, optics, signalling, and political consequence usually outweigh the arithmetic.

One month after starting the war in Iran, this is the statement of the President of the United States on Easter Sunday. These are the ravings of a dangerous and mentally unbalanced individual. Congress has got to act NOW. End this war.

Exactly. And if you don’t get that, you’ll never understand the power of the American fighting man: he knows he will never be abandoned by his buddies for the sake of cynical politicians. Exactly the same ethos behind the IDF, which is another nation you’ll never get.

Iranian forces claim they “completely thwarted” a U.S. rescue at a deserted southern Isfahan airfield, saying two C‑130s and two Black Hawks were destroyed and the mission a “complete failure”, though the crew was in fact successfully rescued.

The Americans went in, sacrificed a few hundred million dollars in kit, just to get one guy out alive. Who precisely blew up the planes is entirely irrelevant. That the Americans would spend a hundred fortunes to save one soldier is the difference between the West and Islamism.

He who recovers one downed pilot - whatever the cost in terms of kit - saves the morale of his whole armed forces. BZ to the Americans.

In a bizarre and shocking warning to Iran, Trump minced no words, demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, using harsh language while warning that if this is not done, key infrastructure such as bridges and power plants in Iran could be taken out.

Details about the rescue op for the U.S. Weapon Systems Officer, via a U.S. military official: "The mountain top area on the left is where the WSO was hiding (he ejected 5ish miles northwest of there). The right area is the makeshift landing strip where they landed 2 C-130s and had 4 MH-6 Little Birds. "One Little Bird flew to that mountain top area and rescued the WSO and brought him back to the landing strip. And of course the two C-130s' nose gears got stuck in the dirt. So after a few hours they had to bring in three AFSOC Dash-8s to fly out the rescued WSO and the 100 or so personnel involved in the op." 1/2