Trump, Israel pressure Iran ahead of deadline as search continues for missing US airman

IRAN TOUTS NEW AIR-DEFENCE SYSTEMS

The downing of two US warplanes shows the risks still facing US and Israeli aircraft, despite assertions by Trump and his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that US forces had total control of the skies over Iran.

Iranian fire brought down a two-seat US F-15E jet, officials in both countries said on Friday, and a US official said search-and-rescue efforts had recovered one of the crew.

Two Black Hawk helicopters engaged in the search for the missing crew member were hit by Iranian fire but made it out of Iranian airspace, the two US officials told Reuters.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it was combing a southwestern area near where the US plane came down, while the regional governor promised a commendation for anyone who captured or killed “forces of the hostile enemy”.

In a separate incident, an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft was hit and crashed over Kuwait, with the pilot ejecting, the U.S. officials said.

Iranians, pummelled by air power since the US and Israel began their attacks, celebrated their success.

The Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command said it used a new air-defence system on Friday, which targeted a US fighter jet, three drones and two cruise missiles.

“The enemy should know that we rely on new air-defence systems built by the young, knowledgeable, and proud people of this country, unveiling them one after another in the field,” a Khatam al-Anbiya spokesperson said, according to Iran’s state media.

The Revolutionary Guards said they had targeted various areas in Israel in a wave of missiles and drones. Israeli media reported that two warheads from an Iranian cluster missile landed near Israel’s Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv.

Later on Saturday, the Irsraeli military said it had detected more missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.

PETROCHEMICAL ZONE STRUCK IN IRAN

Iranian state media reported airstrikes at a petrochemical zone in southwestern Iran, with five people reported injured. They later said a fire there had been extinguished.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had struck the plant, which an Israeli military spokesperson said produced materials for explosives and missiles.

Israel has been waging a parallel campaign against Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon after the militant group fired at Israel in support of Iran.

Early on Saturday, Israel’s military said it was striking the militants’ infrastructure sites in Beirut. It later said an Israeli soldier had been killed in combat in southern Lebanon.