As the United States continues its military campaign against Iran, Washington's narrative of a conflict nearing its end is being challenged by events on the ground. 

Veteran war correspondent and political risk analyst Elijah J. Magnier joined CGTN to offer his assessment of the rapidly shifting dynamics.

Magnier was quick to push back on suggestions from the Trump administration that the war is close to resolution. 

'Iran retains escalation capability'

"The statement is a political statement, not a battlefield assessment," he said. "Wars don't end because one side declares them complete. The end is when the objectives are achieved and the opponent has either surrendered or no longer capable of fighting or not responding anymore."

He argued that none of those conditions had been met. 

"Iran still retains escalation capability. It is launching missiles, drones, the regional allies are fighting, and there is a maritime disruption," added Magnier.

In his view, US President Donald Trump's framing is driven less by military reality than by economic concerns. 

"What he's trying to do is to calm down the stock market and the energy market. Saying 'so near completion' reflects a narrative that needs to be verified, because the war is still very far from it," said the analyst.

That assessment was underscored by a report that a US fighter jet had been shot down over Iran, with search underway for one of the crew members. 

Magnier said the implications were serious. 

"The F-15E normally has two pilots. That would be both militarily and politically significant," he highlighted. "It indicates that the Iranian air defense has successfully engaged a high-end US platform, altering the tactical balance in the air.

'A disgrace to their uniform'

"[Pete] Hegseth [US Secretary of Defense] said at the beginning that his soldiers were instructed to leave no quarters. While at the same time, Iran is urging civilians to avoid harming the pilot and capturing them, even offering a reward," he said, noting a striking contradiction in how both sides were responding to the incident.

For Magnier, the broader takeaway was clear: "The air domain is no longer uncontested, and that changes the calculation on both sides."

On the dismissal of the US military's chief of staff, Magnier suggested it may reflect internal resistance to the direction of the campaign. 

"Maybe the chief of staff is contesting the immoral behavior of the US Army, where civilian targets are coming up — hitting civilian bridges, hitting the energy plant, switching from military objectives because obviously the bank of objectives has been exhausted," said Magnier.

He was pointed in his criticism of the shift toward civilian infrastructure. "This is not how the military wins the war. This is a disgrace to their uniform and to the art of war."