US President Donald Trump issued expletive-filled threats against Iran, vowing to strike its power plants and bridges if it doesn’t open the Strait of Hormuz, following the rescue of a wounded American aviator whose plane crashed behind enemy lines.
Dramatic Rescue Operation
An intense search followed Friday’s crash of an F-15E Strike Eagle, with Iran promising a reward for the “enemy pilot.” Trump said the service member was “seriously wounded and really brave” and rescued from “deep inside the mountains” in an operation involving dozens of armed aircraft. He also stated a second crew member was rescued in “broad daylight” within hours of the crash.
A senior US administration official said the CIA spread word inside Iran that US forces had found the second aviator and were moving him for exfiltration, confusing Iranian officials. The fighter jet was the first known American aircraft to crash in Iranian territory since the war began on February 28.
Escalating Conflict
Iran struck infrastructure targets in neighbouring Gulf Arab countries and challenged the US account of the rescue. It also threatened to restrict the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Arabian Peninsula. Trump, on social media, vowed to hit Iran’s power plants and bridges, stating the country would be “living in Hell” if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t opened. He ended with “Praise be to Allah.”
Iran’s UN mission called Trump’s threat “clear evidence of intent to commit war crime.” Iran’s military joint command warned of stepped-up retaliatory attacks on regional oil and civilian infrastructure if the US and Israel attack such targets. Legal scholars say attacks on civilian infrastructure are permissible under the laws of armed conflict only if the military advantage outweighs the civilian harm, a high bar to clear.
Iran also shot down another US military plane, demonstrating its ability to retaliate. The status of the A-10 attack aircraft’s crew and crash location are unknown. State television aired a video showing what it claimed were parts of US aircraft shot down by Iranian forces, including a transport plane and two helicopters involved in the rescue operation.
A regional intelligence official said the US military blew up two transport planes due to a technical malfunction and brought in additional aircraft to complete the rescue. Iran claimed the US bombarded its own aircraft to “prevent embarrassment for President Trump.” Two Black Hawk helicopters were hit during the rescue but navigated to safe airspace.
Diplomatic Efforts and Regional Impact
Trump’s deadline centres on alarm over Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, critical for global oil and gas shipments. An Iranian presidential spokesperson said the strait can reopen only if some transit revenues compensate Iran for war damages. Tehran also warned it could disrupt trade on the Bab el-Mandeb.
Oman’s Foreign Ministry said deputy foreign ministers and experts from Iran and Oman met to discuss proposals to ensure “smooth transit” through the strait. Egypt’s Foreign Minister spoke with US, Iranian, Turkish, and Pakistani counterparts. Russia also engaged in talks with Iran. Bahrain urged the UN Security Council to act.
Airstrikes and Casualties
Airstrikes early Monday struck a residential building near Eslamshar, southwest of Tehran, killing at least 13 people. Buildings at the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran and a natural gas distribution site were also damaged. Airstrikes in Qom killed at least five people. Neither Israel nor the United States claimed responsibility for the strikes.
In the United Arab Emirates, four people were injured by debris from intercepted projectiles. Fires also occurred at a petrochemical plant. In Kuwait, Iranian drone attacks damaged power plants and a desalination station. Bahrain reported a fire at an oil company storage facility and a petrochemical plant.
In Israel, rescue authorities searched for three people in Haifa after an apartment building was hit. More than 1900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, but the government has not updated the toll recently. More than 1400 have died in Lebanon, displacing over 1 million people. Eleven Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel and 13 US service members have been killed.
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