Sat Images Reveal ‘Chaos’ During US Rescue Mission In Iran
Tehran : Latest high-resolution satellite images from Iran have shed new light on the chaotic US rescue mission of two personnel who went missing after Tehran downed an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet earlier this month. The images, released by Soar Atlas, show multiple US aircraft wreckage at an abandoned dirt airstrip near Shahreza in Isfahan province, which houses Iran’s key nuclear complex.
Iran has alleged that it was a “failed” US operation to seize uranium. The reason it provided was simple. The area where the American airman was downed in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province was far off from where US troops landed to rescue him. The pilot and the weapons systems officer (WSO) were eventually rescued, the mission ran into major challenges beyond enemy lines.
Satellite images now show wreckage of at least two US C-130 Hercules transport aircraft, and possibly two MH-6 “Little Bird” helicopters on the right side of the airfield. Trump had admitted that the two C-130 aircraft, which ferried around 100 elite US forces, had to be blown up after they got stuck in the sandy desert terrain. However, no details were provided on the MH-6 helicopters, possibly deployed to provide close air support to the landing force.
The helicopters could have been destroyed by the US troops, as there might have been no time or room to load them onto the replacement aircraft. These helicopters have a maximum flight range of 420 km. The nearest US military base is around 400 km away near the Iraq border. Considering the risks, the US might have decided to destroy the helicopters at the site.
Given its proximity to the Isfahan nuclear complex, this makes any potential future ground operation to seize the highly enriched uranium, believed to be stored in tunnels, more difficult.In fact, experts suggested that Iran might use this tactic at other countryside airstrips across the country and near nuclear facilities. This will make any future US operation in Iran even harder and more dangerous.
Read Also : Punjab Withdraws Raghav Chadha’s Z+ Cover Amid AAP Rift