When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu planned to attack Iran with the United States, the Israeli public overwhelmingly supported it. The plan was supported by parties from all sides of the country.

Initial polls after the attack on Iran on February 28 showed Netanyahu's popularity increasing.

But as the war dragged on, Netanyahu's influence has also waned. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said Netanyahu had failed to make strategic decisions. "He failed to win. He is incompetent," Lapid said. According to the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), 70 percent of Israelis believed that the US and Israel would overthrow Iran when the war began.

Now, only 43.5 percent believe so.

Only 48 percent believe Israel can dismantle Iran's nuclear program on a large scale. Whereas 62 percent believed so before the war began. Israelis are now divided on whether Hezbollah can be disarmed. Just last week, Netanyahu's coalition passed a controversial budget for 2026. This paved the way for him to stay in power until October. New elections are scheduled for October in Israel.

On the eve of the election, Netanyahu has allocated a large budget that benefits the activities of his right-wing political allies. He has cut the budget for education and health. On the other hand, he has increased taxes.

Even though the Iran war has been going on for 37 days, there is still no end in sight. This war has caused a major crisis not only for Iran and Israel but also for the neutral Gulf countries of West Asia.

Iran is attacking military infrastructure, energy centers and buildings in those countries. Similarly, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has created a global fuel shortage.

According to the latest report, 2,076 people have lost their lives in Iran, 1,245 in Lebanon and 24 in Israel. 26,500 people have been injured in Iran, 4,040 in Lebanon and 6,594 in Israel.

The number of dead and injured in other countries of West Asia is also high. 13 US soldiers have lost their lives and 200 have been injured.

Rescue of the pilot of the US warplane shot down by Iran

Both pilots of a US F-19E Eagle fighter jet have been rescued. Earlier, one pilot was rescued after the plane crashed on Friday. The other pilot remained missing for a long time.

US President Donald Trump said that the military has also searched for and rescued the missing pilot. The US has not made public details of the operation.

President Trump said that both pilots are currently receiving treatment. Dozens of US aircraft were used for the rescue. These aircraft were carrying deadly weapons.

“No US service members were injured or killed during the rescue,” Trump said. Earlier, he had said that US troops were monitoring the crash site around the clock. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has denied Trump’s claim.

He claims that two C-130 aircraft of the rescue team were shot down. He also claims that a US Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in southern Iran. This has not been independently confirmed.

Iran has linked the capture of US soldiers to its power during the war. Iran has even announced a reward for information about them.

CNN's national security analyst Alex Plitsas said that this was one of the most daring rescues in the history of the US military.

The US had previously rescued an F-16 pilot in this way in 1995. At that time, the surviving pilot, Scott O'Grady, had been hiding in the jungle for six days after the Serbian army shot down the plane in Bosnia.

Although he landed safely by parachute, he saw only the opposing forces on the ground.

He recalled surviving for six days by hiding from the enemy forces, eating ants and grass. During this time, he repeatedly tried unsuccessfully to call for help on his radio set.