US President reported that crew member was rescued from the ‘depths of the Iranian mountains’
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, informed this Sunday (5) that he is “severely injured”. The soldier’s health condition was confirmed by the republican, through a publication in Truth Social.
“We rescued the seriously injured and extremely courageous F-15 crewman/officer from deep in the mountains of Iran. The Iranian Armed Forces were searching for him in large numbers and closing in. He is a highly respected colonel,” Trump posted.
The officer, who holds the rank of colonel, was taken from the mountains of Iranian territory. According to Trump, Iranian troops carried out searches in the region e approached the location at the time of the extraction operation from the United States. The president stated that incursions with this profile occur with infrequently due to the risk of human losses e materials.
That was the second rescue operation of the aircraft occupants. The previous mission located and removed the first pilot during the day, after the fighter flew into Iranian airspace for seven o’clock.
The United States government scheduled a press conference together with representatives of the Armed Forces. The speech will take place in the Oval Office of the White House, this Monday (6), at 1 pm.
Rescue of the second pilot
Earlier this Sunday, Trump classified the mission that rescued the second pilot shot down in Iranian territory as “one of the most daring operations search and rescue of United States history”.
The statement was made on the same day that Iran launched missiles e drones contra Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait e Abu Dhabi — and just one day after Trump gave the Islamic Republic one to make a deal or face “hell.”
“This brave warrior was behind enemy lines, in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted by our adversaries,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He suffered injuriesbut it will be fine. This miraculous search and rescue operation adds to the successful rescue of another brave pilot carried out yesterday, which we have not confirmed publicly so as not to compromise the second mission.”
Iranian media reported that five people died during the American rescue operation. Iran maintains that his forces shot down the planea version also published by the US press, although the American government has not publicly confirmed the slaughter.
The war, which began on February 28 with joint attacks by the US and Israel against Iran, has already spread throughout the Middle East e shook the global economy. Tehran practically blocked the Strait of Hormuza crucial route for oil transportation e gasand maintains a campaign of attacks against Israel and the gulf countries.
In retaliation, American-Israeli bombings hit Iran’s strategic economic targets. On Saturday (4), an attack on a petrochemical complex in the southwest of the country killed five peopleaccording to the deputy governor of Khuzestan province.
‘Time is running out’
On Saturday, Trump had written in Truth Social, referring to the ultimatum given on March 26: “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.”
The Iranian Central Military Command rejected the threat. General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi classified Trump’s statement as “an action desperate, nervosa, unbalanced e stupid” and warned, in a similar tone: “The gates of hell will open for you.”
Pakistan offered to mediate the end of the conflict. According to Iranian media, the Pakistani foreign minister spoke by telephone with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday. Despite that, there is no sign of a reduction in violence.
An Iranian drone caused a fire in a storage tank of Bahrain’s state-owned energy company, Bapco Energies. Another fire broke out at an Abu Dhabi petrochemical facility after debris fell. In Lebanon, Tehran’s ally Hezbollah said it had hit an Israeli warship with a cruise missile off the Lebanese coast. Israel has not confirmed the attack.
Lebanese President Josef Aoun has once again called for negotiations with Israel to prevent southern Lebanon from suffering destruction similar to that seen in Gaza. In the village of Debel, close to the Israeli border, residents prepared for Easter Sunday under the constant sound of shelling. “The situation is tragic. People are terrified. We can’t sleep,” resident Joseph Attieh told AFP. “We are putting our trust in God—it is the only glimmer of hope we will not abandon.”
Nuclear threat in Bushehr
In Iran, an attack near the Bushehr nuclear plant on Saturday killed a guard. Russia, responsible for the construction and operation of the facility, announced the evacuation of 198 workers and condemned the attack as “an evil act”.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that further attacks on the plant — located on the southern coast, much closer to Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar than to Tehran — could cause radioactive fallout capable of “ending life in the capitals of the Gulf Cooperation Council, not in Tehran”.
The director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, reported on X that no increase in radiation was detected at the site, but expressed “deep concern”, classifying the episode as the fourth attack of its kind in recent weeks. The agency’s former director, Mohamed El-Baradei, called on Gulf governments to stop Trump from turning the region into “a ball of fire.”
Amid external conflict, Iran intensified internal repression. Weeks after quelling a large wave of anti-government protests, the Judiciary announced convicts for allegedly acting on behalf of Israel and the United States. On Sunday, the NetBlocks monitor reported that the internet blockade in the country has become the longest in national history.
*With information from AFP
