The U.S. fighter jet was downed in Iran by a shoulder-fired missile

President Donald Trump said the American F-15 fighter jet was brought down in Iran by a shoulder-fired missile, leading to the dramatic rescue of two airmen.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said the American F-15 fighter jet was brought down in Iran by a shoulder-fired missile, leading to the dramatic rescue of two airmen — a glaring reminder of the complexity of the conflict and the perils still posed by Tehran.

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Trump and his top officials have said the six-week campaign has devastated the Iranian military, all but eliminating its navy and air force, and damaged countless missile sites and launchers and drone factories. U.S. Central Command said Monday it has hit more than 13,000 targets and damaged or destroyed more than 150 Iranian vessels so far.

But neutralizing conventional military capabilities is exposing a more enduring threat as Trump weighs sending American troops on the ground for another mission inside Iran: so-called asymmetric warfare, in which individuals or small groups of militants can pose strategic threats to the American military.