What they said: US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine announced on March 2 that “local air superiority has been established [over Iran].”

What it means: "Local" air superiority means temporary control over a defined area and time window. 

In a large country like Iran this probably means dominance over major cities or specific regions. This is one step down from unqualified air superiority since it means there are still areas of Iran where air defenses are operating and pose a threat.

The use of B-1 bombers in Iran (announced yesterday) demonstrates that the US is degrading Iranian air defenses to the point that it feels comfortable using older-generation non-stealth aircraft to conduct attacks in Iran now.  

Ironically the biggest threat to USAF appears to be enthusiastic amateurs. 

What they said: “Several U.S. fighter jets have crashed over Kuwait," Kuwait's military has confirmed.

What it means: "We accidentally shot them down ourselves, then they crashed." 

CENTCOM said three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles were engaging Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones at around 7 p.m. local time when they were hit by friendly fire. All six aircrew ejected safely, the command said in a statement Monday. 

Ejected safely does not mean 'escaped uninjured.'  Six US servicemembers have been killed in the war with Iran thus far. The servicemembers were killed in an Iranian attack on Camp Arifjan in Kuwait on March 1. Eighteen US service members have been seriously wounded in the war to 2 Mar, according to CENTCOM Spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins.

What they said: The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed that four ballistic missiles were fired towards the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. "Following the proud actions of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the attack on American-Zionist enemy targets, the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier of the US Army was attacked with four ballistic missiles." 

What it means: We missed.

Iran has previously claimed its anti-ship ballistic missiles have home-on-radar and active seeker capabilities that allow them to hit moving ships at sea (Hormuz-2). The US did not disclose whether the missiles were intercepted in flight, or just missed, but the latter seems likely from this comment from CENTCOM. "Iran’s IRGC claims to have struck USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles. LIE. The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close."

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