WASHINGTON: The shooting down of American warplanes over Iranian territory and the Gulf on Friday represents the most consequential single development in the six‑week conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. What had been a largely asymmetric air campaign — with US and Israeli air power pounding Iranian military sites, air defences, and infrastructure — has now produced a symbolic and potentially strategic setback for Washington. According to Iranian and American sources, an F‑15E S...