Getty ImagesUS President Donald Trump was swift to declare victory after the second crew member of an F-15 downed over Iran was recovered, claiming on Sunday that the dramatic and successful rescue in Iranian territory "proves, once again, that we have achieved overwhelming air dominance and superiority".
Observers, however, paint a more complicated picture of what this means for the US in Iran.
While the mission was a success, the events of the last few days - in which two aircraft were downed and at least one helicopter hit by gunfire - highlight that threats to US aircraft and personnel remain even after weeks of heavy US and Israeli strikes against Iran's military infrastructure and boasts from the president that Tehran had "no anti-aircraft equipment" left.
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How downed F-15 US airman was rescued inside Iran
Several Washington sources who spoke to the BBC speculated that the loss of aircraft and the complexity of the operation to recover the pilots could potentially dissuade Trump from any ground operation to take Kharg Island and sites in the Persian Gulf, or to seize highly enriched uranium buried deep underground in Iran.
These operations – scoped by military planners and presented to the president as options – are deeply complex and risk exposing US forces to lingering Iranian capabilities, including difficult-to-find man portable air defence systems, known as Manpads, which are shoulder-launched weapons most effective against low flying aircraft.
On the other hand, the fact that US troops were able to enter a contested environment, and set up a forward airfield and refueling point under the nose of the Iranians - then hold it for hours while two stuck aircraft were destroyed and replacements sent - might embolden him.
It could convince the administration that an airborne or amphibious operation against targets in Iran stands a good chance of success.
Trump also has sent mixed messages about the path forward, telling reporters in a series of phone calls on Sunday that he believes a "deal" with Iran could be just around the corner.
If that fails, he has said repeatedly on Truth Social, the clock is ticking on a self-imposed deadline to begin striking Iranian power plants and bridges. If the Strait of Hormuz was not opened, he posted in an expletive-laden message on Sunday to the Iranian regime, they would be "living in Hell". In a brief phone interview with Fox, Trump also suggested he might move to "take" Iran's oil, without providing further details.
Getty ImagesWreckage is seen from what Iranian authorities say is a US military helicopter that crashed during a mission to rescue the missing American pilot of an F-15 that was downed earlier this week.An expanded campaign against Iranian infrastructure and energy targets would represent an escalation, with human rights groups warning of the impact on civilians and potential violations of international law. The president's critics are likely to take it as a sign of Trump's frustration that the US has been unable to secure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global corridor for oil and other commodities.
Trump's comments over the weekend stand in contrast to several he made last week, including a televised address on 1 April, in which he suggested that the US had already created the conditions necessary for other countries to engage in the Strait. "Take it, protect it, use it for yourselves," he told allies.
Trump had also recently suggested that he was willing to "leave" Iran even if a deal eluded him. But he now appears to have shifted course in the hopes that doubling down on the threat of devastating attacks on the country's core infrastructure can prompt Tehran's leadership to come to the table.
