The United States has rescued a missing service member from one of two warplanes shot down in Iran, two American officials said. The rescue came as President Donald Trump and Israel intensified pressure on Iran to open the strategic Strait of Hormuz or face attacks on energy facilities.
Authorities did not provide Reuters with further details on Friday evening about the soldier. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The soldier was the second member of the two-pilot crew of an F-15 fighter jet that Iran says was shot down by its air defenses on Friday. Reuters reported on Friday that the first crew member had been rescued.
Since the US began war against Iran on February 28, Trump has sent mixed messages, ranging from hints of diplomatic progress to threats to bomb the Islamic Republic “back to the Stone Age.”
Trump, who had previously threatened to target Iranian power plants if his demands were not met, told Tehran that its deadline for a deal to end the war was fast approaching.
“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN THE STRAIT OF ORMUZZ? Time is running out — 48 hours before all hell breaks loose on them. Glory to GOD!” he wrote in a post on Truth Social.
The war has killed thousands of people, triggered an energy crisis and threatens to cause lasting damage to the world economy after Iran all but closed the Strait of Hormuz, which normally transports about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas.
