World

‘Your sons under more danger with Trump’: Iran’s reply to US woman over missing pilot claims

Tehran:

A woman, who claimed that she is a mother of a fighter pilot of the US military and her son is reportedly missing since an F-15 jet was downed in Iran, has received a firm response from Tehran, which said her children were in more danger under President Donald Trump than they would be under Iranian custody. 

The woman, with a user name of @lovelynancie on X (formerly called Twitter), said one of her sons was a fighter pilot and she has not heard about him after the Iranian forces shot down an F-15 aircraft, adding that her “heart is heavy with worry”. She also urged people to pray for the safety of fighter pilots.

Her claims cannot be verified independently, though.

“Please keep the two F-15 pilots who were shot down in your prayers tonight,” she posted on Friday. “One of my sons is a fighter pilot, and I still haven’t heard any news from him or his unit. My heart is heavy with worry. Please pray for all the pilots and their families.”

Iran’s rebuttal to the woman

In response, the Iranian embassy in Pakistan said her sons are more in danger under Trump and that she should pray that he stays captive by Iran rather than being found by American forces. 

“Be sure your sons are more in danger with DJ Trump than in custody in Iran. Pray he’s kept captive by Iran than found by US rescue teams! As Muslim and civilised Iranians, we know how to treat captives in custody with dignity and respect,” it said.

Iran’s embassy in South Africa also quoted the woman’s X post and said the Middle East nation does not treat prisoners of wars (POWs) like that of Zionists (referring to Israel), adding that they don’t live in the Stone Age like the US does.

“In Iran, long before what so-called useless humanitarian laws were written, the rights of POWs had already been defined,” the post read.

US forces race against time to rescue down pilot

An F-15E Strike Eagle, a 4.5 jet twin-seater fighter jet, of the US military was downed by Iran on Friday over the country’s southwest region. One of the crew members was rescued later by American forces, but a search is still ongoing. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon has provided details, but Trump has been briefed over the situation. 

The US forces are now racing against time to rescue pilot, as Iran has announced a reward and urged people to hand him over once he is found. Iran has also damaged two Black Hawk helicopters that were involved in the search operation. 

ALSO READ – Iran’s Majid surface-to-air missile system explained: How US lost two jets in the Middle East