Search for missing airman presents serious test for US

Search for missing airman presents serious test for US10 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleSimi JolaosoNorth America correspondent, WsahingtonGetty ImagesOne of two crew members of the downed F15 Eagle is still missingPresident Donald Trump had said Iran couldn't "do a thing" about American aircraft operating over its territory, insisting its air defences had been significantly weakened. His Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also said the US had achieved "air superiority" over Iran.So, Friday's downing of a F-15 Eagle is a significant blow to Washington DC.It suggests Iran is still able to defend its skies, even if at a limited capacity.The stakes could rise further, though, depending on who the missing weapons systems officer is captured, or rescued, by.The BBC understands President Trump's national security team spent much of Thursday in the West Wing briefing him on a search-and-rescue mission that also came under Iranian fire. US media report the crew were wounded but managed to escape Iranian airspace.Publicly, the president has played down this entire incident and suggested it won't affect negotiations with Tehran to end the war that began with US and Israeli strikes on 28 February. But privately, this is likely to be of serious concern - particularly as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is said to have launched its own search for the missing American, reportedly using troops and locals, and offering them a reward of around $66,000 (£50,000) to capture him alive.If the missing American is found by Iranian forces, the implications could be profound. At the very least, it would be a political embarrassment for Washington.The US airman could be paraded as a propaganda tool, which would bring back grim reminders of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis, when American diplomats were held for 444 days. Following a failed military rescue, the US secured their release by lifting some sanctions and unfreezing nearly $...