The Iran-Iraq war has been reignited as the pilot of a downed US warplane remains missing and Iran has launched an operation to find him, raising concerns that the US is at risk.
Iranian forces were said to be searching the southwestern region on Saturday (April 4). Local authorities have even offered rewards for the capture or killing of the pilot.
Iran, which is under attack from the US and Israel, has recently claimed to have shot down two US warplanes. One of them, an F-15, was shot down in Iranian airspace. Another A-10 crashed in Kuwait, where its pilot is said to have ejected.
Two helicopters sent to rescue the missing pilot were also shot down by Iranian fire, although they were able to safely leave the area.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is taking the latest update on the situation at the White House. He had previously threatened to return Iran to the Stone Age.
The US says 13 US soldiers have been killed and more than 300 wounded in the conflict so far.
Diplomatic efforts have also stalled. Despite possible Pakistani-mediated talks, Iran has said it is not ready for talks.
Meanwhile, the impact of the conflict is widening. There have been reports of new air strikes in Iran, explosions near nuclear facilities and damage to infrastructure. At the same time, oil prices have risen on the world market as the energy crisis intensifies.
Analysts say the missing US pilot could be a sensitive turning point in the war, prompting the US to take more drastic action and risking prolonging the conflict.
Source: Reuters
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