Trump Ramps Up Threat To Iran After Announcing Rescue Of Missing F-15 Crew Member
by RFE/RL · Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty · JoinUS President Donald Trump repeated his threat to strike Iranian infrastructure hard on if Tehran it does not open the Strait of Hormuz by the evening of April 7, using explosive language hours after announcing that US forces rescued the second crew member of a downed F-15 fighter jet in a high-risk mission.
"Tuesday [April 7] will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the F****** Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
Trump's timeframe for his latest ultimatum has occasionally shifted during his social media posts and media interviews.
In an interview on April 5 with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said Iran must reopen the strait by the evening of April 7 or "they’re going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country.”
Later, he posted a cryptic message: "Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!" without elaboration. The time in Iran would be 3:30 a.m. on April 8.
However, despite the threats, Trump also said in a Fox News interview that Tehran "is negotiating now" and that he believes there's a "good chance" of reaching a deal by April 6.
Trump said he would hold a news conference on April 6 at 1 p.m.
SEE ALSO:
Trump Gives Tehran 48 Hours To Make Deal, Open Strait Or Face 'Hell'
"I think there is a good chance tomorrow [April 6]. They are negotiating now," Trump said.
"If they don't make a deal and fast, I'm considering blowing everything up and taking over the oil," he added.
Trump also said that the United States had provided weapons to Iranian protesters "through the Kurds. And I think the Kurds kept them.” Thousands of Iranians were killed or arrested during mass street demonstrations against the government earlier this year.
A 'Miraculous' Rescue
Earlier in the day, Trump said the F-15E crew member who had been the subject of a frantic search since the jet was downed on April 3 had been safely rescued in what he called a "miraculous" operation.
"We got him," Trump posted on his Truth Social shortly after word of the rescue was made public, saying that the crew member had "sustained injuries, but he will be just fine." Several media outlets reported that the soldier was taken to a hospital in Kuwait.
In a subsequent post, Trump wrote that the crew member had been "seriously wounded," identified him as a colonel, and said he had been rescued "from deep inside the mountains of Iran.
"The Iranian Military was looking hard, in big numbers, and getting close," he added.
The elaborate nighttime operation came one day ahead of a deadline Trump has set for Tehran to make a deal with Washington or open the crucial Strait of Hormuz to shipping.
In his post, Trump said no Americans were killed or wounded during the operations.
"Mission accomplished,” a US official told RFE/RL following the April 5 rescue.
Media reports cited unnamed US and regional officials as saying two transport planes that were supposed to be part of the mission failed to leave a remote base in Iran. US officials said the aircraft were destroyed to keep Iran's military from obtaining them.
US Special Operations Forces
The second crew member -- identified as the weapons systems officer (WSO) -- was recovered early on April 5 local time in a complex, multilayered rescue effort involving US Special Operations forces and other military units.
Both crew members ejected when their aircraft was struck during a nighttime mission over southwestern Iran. According to Axios and Fox News, they quickly established contact with US forces using emergency communications equipment.
The WSO reportedly moved away from the wreckage and took cover on elevated terrain, where an emergency beacon was activated to guide rescuers.
US officials said Iranian forces, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and affiliated Basij militia units, were actively searching for the downed airman. American rescue teams faced attempts to intercept the operation, and US forces engaged to keep Iranian units at bay.
Ground Fighting
Fox News, citing sources briefed on the mission, reported that fighting occurred on the ground during the rescue, though no US personnel were killed. Videos circulating from local witnesses allegedly show casualties among Iranian forces involved in the search effort.
The operation included elite rescue personnel such as US Air Force Pararescuemen, supported by air and ground assets. Two rescue helicopters were reportedly hit by enemy fire during the mission, with crew members wounded but able to withdraw safely from Iranian territory.
SEE ALSO:
One Crew Member Rescued After American Jet Shot Down In Iran, US Official Tells RFE/RL
Iranian authorities had also been searching for the crew members and had reportedly offered rewards to civilians who could capture and hand them over.
US officials had warned that the capture of an American crew member by Iranian forces could have sharply escalated tensions and complicated Washington’s broader military objectives in the conflict.
The downed F-15E was described as largely destroyed on impact.
In a related incident, Fox News confirmed that an A-10 Warthog providing cover for the rescue effort crashed on April 3 in Kuwait. The pilot ejected safely and was recovered.
Iranian Military's Account
Iran's military issued a contradictory account and asserted that the US operation was "completely foiled," but it did not provide evidence beyond images it said showed parts of destroyed US aircraft and did not claim that Iran had captured the crew member or directly deny he had been extracted.
In a statement shown in state television, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesman for the Iranian military's central command, said that "two C-130 military transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed" during the course of the US operation.
US officials said two American transport craft were unable to leave a site inside Iran and were destroyed by the US military to prevent them from getting into Iranian hands. The crews were recovered safely, officials said.
Deadline Looms
The second F-15E crew member's rescue came as the deadline set by Trump, who has warned that the US will carry out extensive attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure if it is not met, drew closer.
Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20 percent of global oil and natural gas supplies normally pass, leading to a worldwide energy crisis and driving up prices.
“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out -- 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform on April 4.
Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and Persian Gulf nations, in some cases targeting US forces or assets, since the war begin with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran on February 28. Numerous attacks have targeted energy infrastructure in Gulf nations.
Among the latest attacks, Kuwaiti state media on April 5 said an Iranian drone hit an office complex for government ministries, causing significant damage but no casualties. Also, Kuwait's electricity and water ministry said two power generation units were shut off after Iranian drones targeted two power and desalination plants, causing substantial damage.
Trump Ramps Up Threat To Iran After Announcing Rescue Of Missing F-15 Crew Member
Share
Share