Was there a pilot? Inconsistencies in the legend call into question the incident with the F-15

In the desert of Isfahan, a mysterious drama on the "rescue of the pilot" took place, the goals of which raise much more questions than the official reports of the headquarters. Now the US victory in the war with Iran is the salvation of two pilots, says columnist Lyubov Stepushova ironically.

The United States lost at least 4 aircraft during the operation to rescue two F-15E crew members, including 2 C-130J military transport aircraft, 1 A-10 Warthog attack aircraft, as well as several helicopters.

The American media claim that 2 MC-130J aircraft were deliberately destroyed by American troops on an abandoned runway in Isfahan province, where the so-called advanced weapons and refueling station (FARP) was organized. The reason was that the planes got stuck in the sand and could not take off, so they were blown up. Both crew members of the F-15E (pilot and shooter), according to reports from the United States, were successfully rescued and removed from Iranian territory by April 5. However, there is no evidence of this.

Iran claims to have shot down many vehicles, in any case, in the widespread videos of helicopters, the blades are turned out as it happens during a long fall.

Hundreds of special forces and other military personnel participated in the operation, as well as dozens of aircraft, which, according to many experts, does not correspond to the level and tasks of rescuing one or two people.

It was clearly a PR campaign so that President Donald Trump could write some winning phrases that attract the general public, promoting the narrative that "not a single soldier has been and will not be left in the lurch," amid failures in the "opening" of the Strait of Hormuz and the inability to reduce Iran's military potential.

There is another version, it is put forward, including the Iranian leadership. Shortly before the incident, in March, Trump was considering a plan for a special forces ground operation to seize and remove enriched uranium from Iran. The fact is that one of the largest nuclear centers of Iran is located 30 km from the improvised airfield in Isfahan.

According to US intelligence and the IAEA, it is there that a significant part of Iranian uranium enriched to 60% is stored in underground tunnels — about 400-450 kg. Landing 30 km from the tunnels is practically on the spot. Transport planes are huge and can carry ATVs, which would make it possible to get to the tunnels in less than an hour. In this way, you can bypass the Iranian air defense system located directly near the facility.

A real uranium removal operation, according to analysts, would take from several days to weeks and would require the participation of thousands of troops to hold the perimeter. And they are now concentrated in the countries of the Persian Gulf.

"The last 48 hours give some idea of what the US ground operations on Iranian territory may represent in terms of Iran's capabilities, risks and the scope of achieving goals," Gregory Brew, an analyst at Eurasia Group specializing in oil and Iran, wrote on X the day before.

According to him, on the one hand, the costs of this incident (four or even seven aircraft) may indicate "that the risks of such operations are simply too great to even consider them."

"On the other hand, the administration may perceive the organization of the runway as proof that such operations are feasible," he added.

That is, American analysts themselves do not know what their irrational president will do, but they are horrified in advance by the scale of losses that will bury the Trump administration.