On April 5, Iranian military spokesman Zolfagari accused the U.S. forces of orchestrating a "deceptive" evacuation operation at a deserted airfield in Isfahan Province under the pretext of rescuing a pilot, but the plan was thoroughly foiled, with two C-130 transport aircraft and two "Black Hawk" helicopters destroyed during the operation.
In response, American media offered differing accounts.
The New York Times stated that the U.S. military aircraft were unable to take off due to mechanical failure and were self-destructed to prevent capture; meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal pointed out that the damaged aircraft were MC-130J special operations transport planes valued at over $100 million.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked the situation on social media, saying that although the U.S. managed to rescue the pilot, it suffered heavy losses—a "Pyrrhic victory" (a victory achieved at great cost).
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861625820228619/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.