A U.S. fighter jet being shot down by Iran, the first of its kind in the current conflict, has triggered a high-risk rescue effort behind enemy lines, but former Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Yates said Saturday the incident does not alter the broader mission.
"The mission remains very much on track, and I don’t think it’s changed by these events," Yates said on Newsmax’s "America Right Now."
The downing of the aircraft, along with additional hits on two Black Hawk helicopters and an A-10 Warthog during the rescue operation, has intensified concerns as the U.S. searches for a missing crew member.
Iran has also reportedly offered a reward for captured American pilots.
Despite the escalation, Yates emphasized that U.S. forces still maintain dominance in the air.
"I think we do have overwhelming air superiority in that anything strategic we need to do, we have an ability to do with impunity and almost nothing that can be done on the Iran side to stop it," he said.
Yates suggested the incident may reflect localized risks rather than a shift in the overall balance of power.
"This particular area borders with Iraq, it’s probably a rather porous area," he explained, noting that the threat of "shoulder-carried surface-to-air missiles never go to zero in any warfare scenario."
He framed the shootdown as a rare complication amid thousands of successful missions.
"We’ve run 13 or so thousand missions, we’ve had a small handful that have run into these unfortunate complications," Yates said.
Still, he underscored the uncertainty surrounding the missing pilot and the urgency of the ongoing search.
"We’re concerned for the individuals involved, we pray for their safe return," he said.
"We just don’t have very much information at this point, so that we hold our breath," he added.
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