Trump says U.S. army has rescued airman shot down over Iran : NPR

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Alex Brandon/AP A U.S. Airforce officer whose aircraft was shot down in Iran was rescued by U.S. forces early Sunday after evading seize for greater than a day in enemy territory, President Trump introduced on social media.

"The U.S. Army despatched dozens of plane, armed with probably the most deadly weapons within the World, to retrieve him. He sustained accidents, however he shall be simply fantastic," Trump stated on Reality Social.

The officer's F-15 fighter jet was shot down on Friday over western Iran, and Trump stated "probably the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. Historical past" was undertaken to rescue him.

An Israeli army official, talking on situation of anonymity, stated Israel helped the U.S. with the rescue of the airman by sharing intelligence and by halting Israeli strikes within the search space.

Elsewhere within the area, there was no let up in combating, whilst many Center Jap Christians celebrated Easter Sunday.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4b%2F47%2F834e10b842439721bf5b3247faa7%2Fap26095360569866.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/6000x4000+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F4b%2F47%2F834e10b842439721bf5b3247faa7%2Fap26095360569866.jpg" class="img" alt="Worshippers light candles during Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. " loading="lazy"/> Worshippers mild candles throughout Easter Sunday Mass at Saint Sarkis Cathedral, an Armenian Apostolic church, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, April 5, 2026. Francisco Seco/AP conceal caption

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Francisco Seco/AP Listed here are extra updates on the conflict in Iran as we speak:

Trump praises US rescue operation Trump stated the airman was a colonel and "was behind enemy strains within the treacherous mountains of Iran."

He was one in every of two crew members who ejected when their jet was hit. The pilot was rescued shortly after the shoot down, however the colonel, a weapons officer, couldn't instantly be reached.

The U.S. army scrambled to launch a large rescue operation. President Trump stated in his Reality Social publish that it concerned dozens of plane.

Three of these rescue plane, which have been flying at low altitudes, have been additionally hit by Iranian hearth, in keeping with a U.S. official who was not approved to talk publicly.

One was an A-10 Warthog. The pilot managed to maintain flying till he reached close by Kuwaiti airspace, the place he ejected and was rescued. Two helicopters have been hit by Iranian hearth, however have been capable of make it safely again to their base, the U.S. official stated.

Quite a few movies over the weekend confirmed planes and helicopters that intently resemble American search and rescue (SAR) plane flying in southwestern Iran. NPR was capable of geolocate one of many movies to a bridge within the province of Khuzestan. The bridge is situated in a mountainous space roughly 100 miles inland.

Trump lauded the rescues as proof "that we've got achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies," however the truth that the pilots have been shot down within the first place has brought about some analysts to query this evaluation, which Trump has made repeatedly.

The 2 fighter jets have been the primary shot down in additional than twenty years, the final being in 2003 through the conflict in Iraq.

In mid-March, a U.S. F-35 plane was hit by a missile, inflicting vital harm to the aircraft and injuring the pilot. NPR was informed on the time that the F-35 plane was capable of return to its base, however the aircraft made a tough touchdown.

For the reason that conflict with Iran began six weeks in the past, 13 U.S. service members have died in airstrikes and likewise an plane refueling crash in Iraq. An assault on a Saudi airbase left greater than a dozen U.S. troops wounded, a number of of them critical.

Israel helped with rescue An Israeli army official, who was not approved to talk publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity, informed NPR that Israel shared intelligence with the U.S. and halted Israeli strikes within the search space as U.S. troops rescued the air power officer whose aircraft was shot down over Iran.

Israel is now specializing in focusing on Iran's metal and petrochemical industries that are necessary for Iran's financial system and army.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a video assertion that Israel's army strikes in Iran have destroyed nearly all of Iran's capabilities to fabricate metal. And likewise on Saturday Israel stated it bombed a petrochemical complicated wanted for manufacturing missiles.

Easter airstrikes in Lebanon In Lebanon, Easter companies have been combined with funerals, after Israel launched a wave of strikes in its northern neighbor. The strikes have been focused throughout Lebanon's south, within the Bekaa Valley, and within the capital Beirut's southern suburbs.

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7335x4890+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3d%2F65%2F05c5ddc04547825d3710e40c4886%2Fap26095196563813.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/7335x4890+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F3d%2F65%2F05c5ddc04547825d3710e40c4886%2Fap26095196563813.jpg" class="img" alt="Members of Lebanon's General Security stand at the Masnaa border crossing in the Bekaa valley, eastern Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026." loading="lazy"/> Members of Lebanon's Normal Safety stand on the Masnaa border crossing within the Bekaa valley, japanese Lebanon, Sunday, April 5, 2026. Bilal Hussein/AP conceal caption

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Bilal Hussein/AP Israel says it is focusing on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants who've fired rockets throughout the border.

United Nations peacekeepers stated they've lodged a proper protest after Israeli troopers destroyed safety cameras exterior a U.N. base in southern Lebanon. Three UN peacekeepers have been killed final month, and several other have been wounded.

Hezbollah stated Sunday it used a missile towards an Israeli warship off Lebanon's coast, however the Israeli army stated it isn't conscious of that incident.

Along with ordering folks in another country's southern area, Israel's army can be ordering the evacuation of Lebanon's most important crossing with neighboring Syria – warning it could strike that space too.

Israelis maintain anti-war protests Because the Center East conflict enters its sixth week, anti-war protests are rising in Israel.

Demonstrations happened in a number of cities throughout Israel over the weekend, with police breaking apart a big gathering in Tel Aviv.

Lots of of protesters held indicators with the faces of Lebanese youngsters killed by the Israeli army. One protestor, Shiri Katz, informed NPR: "I believe this conflict goes nowhere."

<img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5534x3690+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5a%2Fe4%2F69a3e70740a3bbc8e7c4d9583c0a%2Fap26094610963491.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5534x3690+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5a%2Fe4%2F69a3e70740a3bbc8e7c4d9583c0a%2Fap26094610963491.jpg" class="img" alt="People raise their hands during a protest calling for an end to the war in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, April 4, 2026." loading="lazy"/> Folks increase their fingers throughout a protest calling for an finish to the conflict in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, April 4, 2026. Maya Levin/AP conceal caption

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Maya Levin/AP "As a lot as I might wish to see peace within the Center East and freedom and democracy for Iran, let's face it, we cannot get it from this conflict," Katz stated.

Police broke up the protest and made arrests. There's a wartime ban on giant gatherings for safety causes. However Israel's Excessive Courtroom of Justice says a whole lot could protest.

Russia evacuates Iran energy plant workers Russia says it's persevering with to evacuate its workers from Iran's lone operational nuclear energy plant amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli assaults. The most recent exit comes as Tehran stated its nuclear facility had come below assault — killing an Iranian safety guard.

The top of Russia's nuclear vitality company, Rosatom's Alexey Likhachev stated practically 200 Russian staff departed the Bushehr nuclear facility by bus minutes earlier than the plant was hit, and have been now en route out of Iran.

Likhachev, who's been slowly pulling his workers of 700 Russian staff from the nuclear plant for the reason that U.S.-Israeli assaults started over a month in the past, instructed a full withdrawal was now imminent.

Iran has accused the U.S. and Israel of repeatedly focusing on Bushehr.

And although there have been no registered spikes in radiation ranges, the United Nation's Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company has stated it's "deeply involved" over continued combating close to the power.

Trump begins countdown to Strait of Hormuz deadline Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that Iran was operating out of time to open up the Strait of Hormuz — a essential water passageway for a lot of the world's gasoline and oil provide.

"Bear in mind once I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT," Trump wrote.

"Time is operating out - 48 hours earlier than all Hell will reign [sic] down on them."

The deadline expires on Monday. Trump has given Iran a number of deadlines for the reason that conflict started, however then revised them.

Greg Myre in Washington, Daniel Estrin and Itay Stern in Tel Aviv, Lauren Frayer in Beirut, Charles Maynes in Moscow, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to reporting.