Fairy tales and other strange stories about the Iran War

In this article, I want to draw attention to some special events and features of the current Iran War. The fog of war / the fog of ceasefire, has prevented the Western media from realistic and truthful reporting but here is a different perspective available.

“Rescue” operation of an American pilot

Iran’s air defense system succeeded on Friday, April 3, in downing a US F-15E over Iran. There is some dispute and confusion about the exact location. The pilot and the WSO (Weapons System Officer) both successfully ejected but were separated. The pilot was quickly rescued by the Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) and the two Pave Hawk helicopters took him back safety to Kuwait.

According to official information, the second American pilot managed to hide for more than 24 hours and was rescued in a heroic American rescue operation (CSAR).

The WSO was not so lucky. He reportedly landed 5 miles northwest of where he was ultimately rescued. The red circle on the left-hand side of the photo is the reported location of the pilot, the red circle on the right-hand side of the photo is the airfield where the US Special Forces landed.

There are some real oddities about this story. The WSO is normally a Lieutenant or a Captain but this WSO is a Colonel who is the Vice Wing Commander at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base (MSAB) in Jordan. A variety of press reports claim he suffered a broken leg or a broken ankle but how did a man with a broken leg walk five miles and then climb a mountain?

Currently known tally of losses from this CSAR operation:

  • 1x F-15E destroyed
  • 4x AH-6 Little Birds helicopters damaged
  • 1x A-10 destroyed
  • 2x C-130 destroyed
  • 1-2x MQ-9s destroyed
  • wounded/disabled servicemen (WIA) on aircrafts, unknown number (at least dozens)

Possible other damages

  • 1x F-16
  • 1x KC-136
  • 1x A-10

Regarding all these items, the total material damage may amount close to half a billion dollars in just the last 3 days.

Cover operation

The geolocated wreckage of the C-130s which were apparently using a local “agricultural airstrip” just happens to be right over a mountain, about 35km (21 miles) away, from Isfahan’s nuclear facility, where Iran’s “near-weapons grade” enriched uranium is alleged to be stored.

Was this whole affair a botched raid by US Special Operations forces to seize Iranian uranium for the Isfahan facility? The “rescue” narrative may have served as cover or coincided with a broader objective: the operation was centered precisely in the area where Iran stores significant enriched uranium and nuclear-related materials.

A large-scale US rescue operation for the second crew member (weapons systems officer) of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle has effectively confirmed the first official US “boots on the ground” inside Iran. What the US presented as a straightforward combat search-and-rescue (CSAR) mission involved significant special operations forces penetrating deep into Iranian territory, resulting in heavy US losses of aircraft according to Iranian reports and open-source evidence.

This whole fiasco may be a blessing in disguise. The loss of several key air assets and the exposure of the remote airfield within shouting distance of Isfahan may compel the US commanders to cancel the planned raid to capture nuclear material from Iran.

US rescue teams were ambushed, suffering losses worth hundreds of millions of dollars but according to the US officials, they managed to accomplish the mission. It appears that American forces tried to use an old agricultural airstrip in the region but Iran had already prepared a large-scale ambush. Contrary to the official version that the units were destroyed on the ground, the images clearly show damage caused by air defenses on the aircraft wreckage and this may cast doubt on any other official version of the event, including potentially much larger losses.

The Pentagon is hiding the truth about the failed operation. The American camouflage for the landing operation at a remote airport in Isfahan was actually aimed as a major military landing operation The American Isfahan operation was an initial landing operation for stabilizing entry routes and securing it for a large ground landing operation and when it failed, Pentagon diverted the compass with the excuse of rescuing the pilot to justify their failure.

The “downed pilot” was a fake cover story for a failed US military operation to capture Iran’s primary stockpile of highly enriched 60% uranium, roughly 400kg. The primary stockpile is located at Isfahan, exactly where the pilot was “lost.” This explains why the US bombed heavily the area while “searching” and why the C-130s were destroyed without loss of life. The C-130s were hit on the ground while the special forces attempted to secure the material.

The recent dismissal of seasoned US generals may not be coincidental; it may reflect internal resistance to such high-risk operations. Given Iran’s increasingly effective air defense, and the apparent failure of this mission, the viability of future heliborne incursions deep into Iranian territory is now in serious doubt and may ultimately be abandoned.

Former CIA officer Larry Johnson confirms: “The Pentagon is lying to the public. The downing of the American F-15 in Iran was a preparation for a massive attack on the nuclear facility in Natanz. The rescue operation turned into a complete disaster.”

Possible scenarios and uncertainties are surrounding the rescue operation of American pilots, although Donald Trump announced that a “successful” operation rescued the second crew member of the combat aircraft shot down by Iran. Key ambiguities: 1. Was the mission really a rescue operation or was it related to nuclear materials? 2. Was the second crew member really rescued, given immediate reports of his possible death? 3. Are the reports about the first pilot accurate, and why do some American media question them? 4. What ultimately happened to the large number of personnel usually deployed in such operations?

Scott Ritter & Larry Johnson: What Really Happened During the U.S. Search & Rescue Inside Iran

DDGeopolitics April 5, 2026

DAY 36: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Trap? 7 US Aircraft Hit as Ground Invasion Looms!

Global Power Shift April 5, 2026

The US Delta Force went into the First Ground Combat with the IRGC in an Attempt to SAVE a US Pilot

BORZZIKMAN April 5, 2026

INTERVIEW: A dull and faded lie

Larry Johnson interviewed by  George Galloway , April 6, 2026

Former CIA Officer Larry Johnson reveals, April 6, 2026

Iranian Press TV has produced two animation videos telling their version of American pilot rescue operation.

Iranian Press TV 1. animation, April 8, 2026

Iranian Press TV 2. animation, April 8, 2026

Cease fire deal

“Iran ceasefire deal (on April 8) gives Trump a way out of war – but at a high cost”, said BBC day later. Well, maybe … but obviously not. The fragile ceasefire was immediately put to the test and the outlook is ominous.

The alleged ceasefire between the United States and Iran appears to be very fragile. While there has been no official announcement stipulating that it is over, it may be over. Proclamations of a great military victory over Iran, without any evidence that the US achieved any strategic objectives other than inspiring Iran to take control of the Strait of Hormuz and place the world economy in a supply-chain chokehold.

Both Iran and Pakistan, the intermediary in the ceasefire, insist that the Trump administration accepted Iran’s 10-point as a workable basis for negotiation:

Iran presented its ten-point plan to the US on the 39th day of the conflict. US President Donald Trump said the proposal was “a workable basis on which to negotiate” and announced a suspension of attacks on Iran. Pakistan’s prime minister, who has acted as a mediator between the parties, invited them to visit Islamabad on April 10 for talks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement, quoted by The Times of Israel newspaper, that the Jewish state “supports President Trump’s decision to suspend strikes against Iran for two weeks, subject to Iran immediately opening the straits and stopping all attacks on the US, Israel and countries in the region.” He stressed, however, that “the two-week ceasefire does not include Lebanon.” Notably, the Pakistan prime minister had said earlier that the ceasefire covered “everywhere,” including Lebanon.

You Call This a CeaseFire? /Fmr CIA Analyst Larry Johnson

Daniel Davis / Deep Dive April 8, 2026

Ceasefire Nothing But Temporary Illusion

Weeb Union April 8, 2026

The Ceasefire Lasted Only A Few Hours⏳Hungary – It Will Get Very Hot Soon🔥Military Summary 2026.04.8

The Unthinkable Just Happened… Iran Closed Hormuz Again Hours After Signing the Ceasefire

Global Power Shift April 9, 2026

Other stories

The same coin but many sides; Pentagon and the top American brass have many views regarding Iran. Some are warmongers and others strongly disagree.

The Trump administration is receiving crushing criticism both at home and abroad.

Professor Robert Pape, University of Chicago, dissected the tenuous Iran ceasefire. What he describes is not a US victory but a rapidly tightening trap with massive global consequences. Trump’s statement threatening to end Iranian civilization has changed everything.

TRUMP’S GENOCIDAL THREAT BACKFIRES: IRAN NOW RACING FOR NUKES, April 9, 2026

Prospects

This has been the most insane 48 hours in Middle East geopolitics in decades and most people missed majority of it, thanks to the western one-eyed media. If the conflict can be contained now, the current balance of the episode can be estimated as follows:

  • Iran won a war against the United States and got control of the Strait of Hormuz as a REWARD
  • Ceasefire terms include $2million per ship, paid in Chinese yuans, passing through the Strait, that’s $100 billion a year
  • ALL American sanctions on Iran are being lifted, 40 years of economic warfare is over
  • Trump ignored every warhawk around him and took the off-ramp creating his own “win” narrative
  • China became the biggest strategic winner without deploying a single soldier, petroyuan replaces petrodollar
  • The Gulf states are about to normalize relations with Iran, the current regional order is collapsing
  • Israel’s balance of power in the Middle East just took its biggest hit in modern history
  • A war that has already cost over $280 billion and achieved none of its objectives
  • When looking at material losses, the situation becomes even worse. Reports show that most of the 13 American military bases struck have become partly or totally destroyed.
  • Destruction of regional energy infrastructure: dozens of refineries, oil fields, gas plants, export terminals, and LNG facilities were hit by missiles and drones. It will take years to reconstruct them.

A NEW DAY IS DAWNING AND A NEW WORLD ORDER HAS EMERGED. Iran has surfaced as a legitimate regional major power and as a member in the alliance with China, Russia and North Korea, they constitute a key force in international politics.

Many countries around the world are secretly negotiating deals with Iran behind Donald Trump’s back. When the sand clears, US will be isolated from almost every major country except Israel.

The US lost trillions of dollars of military equipment, assets, radar, defense systems and 13 military bases. Gulf states have been canceling security, defense and weapons contracts with the US and signing new deals with Europe and China. Obviously, the US may have lost its financial dominance with petrodollar. It remains to be seen, how the US will manage its astronomical public debt.

IF THE CONFLICT CONTINUES, THE DAMAGES WILL BE EVEN MORE MULTIPLE REGIONALLY AND GLOBALLY AND THE RISK OF WW3 WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.