The myth of the invincible stealth fighter is under the harsh spotlight of war.” These are the words, as covered by The Economic Times, that resonate through world defense communities as Iran claims to have crashed several Israeli F-35I Adir planes in real combat.

Weeks after his country was battered by waves of Israeli strikes and the US bombed three of its prized nuclear facilities, Iran’s foreign minister came to a gathering of regional diplomats in China this week with a simple ask.

"Strengthening air defense capabilities is clearly an urgent priority for Iran at the moment," expert Hongda Fan told Newsweek.

As Europe threatens Iran with revived UN sanctions, China backs Tehran’s right to nuclear energy, while Russia blasts Europe’s legitimacy to trigger snapback measures. With Beijing and Moscow firmly behind Iran,

Iran continues to refuse proposal it join regional consortium for enriched uranium as officials prepare for meetings with Russia, China and European nations amid nuclear tensions

Iran's foreign minister visits China after Israel conflict, highlighting efforts to deepen ties amid regional and U.S. tensions.

Other countries, including the United States, China, and Russia, were not cited as significant threats by substantial portions of the Israeli public.

Russia sought to do this naval drill primarily to show it is still interested in joint cooperation with Iran. Iran and Russia began a naval exercise on Monday.