Heavy Iranian Missile Strike On Israel; 16 US Aircraft Lost, Netanyahu Reacts On Trump

Iran: The old tension in the Middle East has now flared up completely. In late February, the US and Israel jointly launched "Operation Epic Fury" against Iran, in which they launched a massive attack on Iran's nuclear sites, missile bases, command centers and leadership. Iran responded by firing missiles and drones, sirens sounded in Israel, people entered bunkers and there was chaos in the entire area. Now America is directly in the field and it is suffering huge losses.

How big a shock has America suffered?

The American Army has suffered huge losses in this war so far. According to reports, at least 16 American aircraft have been destroyed since the beginning of the war. The largest number of these are MQ-9 Reaper drones – from 11 to 14, with some reports as high as 16. Many were shot down by Iranian air defenses, some were destroyed in ground attacks. Each Reaper drone costs between 16 and 30 million dollars, which means losses of more than 300-400 million dollars just from them. Overall, billions have been lost.

Was there any technical glitch, and did friendly fire cause more devastation?

Most of the losses were not due to direct attack by the enemy but due to mistakes on our own side. A major incident occurred in Kuwait on March 2 – Kuwaiti air defense accidentally shot down three American F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets. This is a classic example of "friendly fire". The pilots came out safely, but the plane was completely destroyed. Such mistakes happen frequently in high-tension operations, but they are costly.

How did KC-135 tanker accident occur?

The most tragic incident occurred on March 12 in western Iraq. A KC-135 Stratotanker (refueling tanker) crashes in mid-air – reports say mid-air incident or collision. Two tankers were involved, one went down, the other landed safely. CENTCOM confirmed that it was an operational accident, not caused by enemy or friendly fire. All 6 crew members on board died.

Additionally, several tankers were damaged in an Iranian missile attack on Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan airbase, some reports say up to 5.

What did Netanyahu say?

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that Israel does not depend on anyone for its security. When questions were raised on America's role, he said that no one can order the American President, he takes decisions considering his own interests. In some places he also dismissed as "fake news" that Israel had drawn America into the war. Meaning, there is support but the final call is Washington's own.

Will this war become bigger?

Attacks are intensifying on both sides – Iran is firing missiles, America and Israel are carrying out air strikes. Gulf countries, Iraq, and Saudi bases are all affected. Deaths of American soldiers have reached 13 (some in combat, some in accidents), more than 200 injured. Oil prices are skyrocketing, the Strait of Hormuz is in danger. The world is afraid that this might become a big war for the entire region.