SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
Thank you for joining our continuing live coverage of the war in the Middle East, now in its sixth week.
Here’s a recap of the latest developments:
- US forces have rescued a second airman after an F15-E Strike Eagle fighter jet was shot down by Iran. The other member of the two-man crew had earlier been rescued.
- The New York Times reported the rescue mission to extract the second airman had been bold and daring and involved hundreds of special forces troops.
- US President Donald Trump has warned Iran to make a deal or reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours before he unleashes “all hell”. “Time is running out,” he said on Truth Social.
- Trump claimed that a strike on Tehran killed “many” of Iran’s military leaders in a post, which was accompanied by unverified video.
- Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has denied reports officials have refused to attend talks in Pakistan. Araghchi said Iran was “deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts” and cared about “the terms of a conclusive and lasting end to the illegal war that is imposed on us”.
US President Donald Trump has claimed success in what he called “one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History”, confirming special forces had extracted the second missing airman from the F-15 downed by Iran.
“WE GOT HIM!” Trump exclaimed on his Truth Social account, confirming the officer was “SAFE AND SOUND”, and that he was “behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour”.
Trump said in his message that the officer had been wounded: “He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.”
Trump went on to say it was the first time that two US pilots had been rescued separately from enemy territory, and that none of hundreds of American troops involved in the operation had been killed or wounded.
An air force officer whose fighter jet was shot down in Iran was rescued by US Special Operations forces in a risky Saturday night mission that took commandos deep into enemy territory, current and former US officials briefed on the operation told The New York Times on Sunday.
The rescue followed a life-or-death race between American and Iranian forces that stretched over two days to reach the injured airman, the officials told the US news outlet. Ultimately, US commandos extracted the officer in an operation involving hundreds of special operations troops.
The two crew members of the F-15E Strike Eagle, the first lost to enemy fire in the month-long war, both ejected from the cockpit on Friday after Iran’s military struck their plane.
The jet’s pilot was quickly rescued, but its weapons systems officer could not be found. This triggered an urgent search with major consequences for President Donald Trump and the war that the United States and Israel launched on February 28.
US forces have rescued the second member of a downed F-15 fighter jet from Iran, Reuters has reported.
And three US officials have told news outlet Axios of the successful rescue, with one saying Saturday’s operation was conducted by a specialised commando unit with a high volume of air cover, that the US forces unleashed a hail of heavy fire, and that all the forces were now out of Iran.
ABOVE: Where the plane went down
According to two of Axois’ sources, the F-15 pilot and weapons systems officer both made contact via their comms systems after ejecting on Friday.
The pilot was rescued several hours after the plane was shot down. During that rescue operation, Iran struck a US Blackhawk helicopter, wounding crew members, but it was able to fly on.
It took more than a day to locate and rescue the second crew member.
Carrying anti-war banners and chanting slogans against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, hundreds of Israelis have rallied in Tel Aviv to protest against the war with Iran, AFP has reported.
About 600 demonstrators gathered in a central square on Saturday night in Israel. They held signs that read, “Don’t bomb – talk! End the endless war!“, despite restrictions on mass gatherings imposed during the Iran conflict.
“Police are trying to silence our voice,” Alon-Lee Green, the co-director of Israeli-Palestinian grassroots group Standing Together, told AFP. “We are here to demand an end to the war in Iran, the war in Lebanon, and the war in Gaza which is still going on, as well as an end to the pogroms in the West Bank.”
Protesters also voiced scepticism about the government’s justification for the war with Iran. “I’m very suspicious of the reasons. I think the main reason is that Bibi wants to stop his trial,” said Cecile, 62, who gave only her first name, referring to Netanyahu with his nickname.
Netanyahu is on trial in a long-running corruption case and has sought a presidential pardon, with United States President Donald Trump repeatedly pressuring Israeli President Isaac Herzog to grant one.
South Korea’s finance minister has met with Gulf country envoys to shore up energy security and the safety of Korean vessels near the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Sunday, as the escalating Iran war disrupts shipping.
In the meeting on Friday, the nation’s finance minister Koo Yun-cheol asked the Gulf ambassadors to ensure a steady supply of oil, liquefied natural gas, naphtha, urea and other critical resources, and to ensure the safety of Korean vessels and crew near the vital strait, the ministry said in a statement.
Like other Asian economies, South Korea relies heavily on energy imports, including through the Strait of Hormuz, which was a conduit for 20 per cent of the world’s oil before the U.S. and Israel launched the war on February 28.
Iran has since effectively shut down the waterway, driving up energy prices and stoking fears of a global recession. The six Gulf Cooperation Council member states are Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain. Reuters
Real-time fuel price checks will be strengthened as motorists are warned to expect high costs at the bowser even if the war in the Middle East comes to a swift end, AAP reports.
The number of service stations to run out of petrol and diesel nationwide has dropped, after a spike in fuel purchases in response to soaring prices and localised shortages.
Of 8000 service stations nationally, 312 were without diesel, AAP reported on Sunday, following a reduction in fuel excise took some of the edge off high prices due to the Iran war. The NSW and West Australian governments announced extra measures to improve data collection and public information about fuel prices while increasing monitoring of retailers.
WA Premier Roger Cook said all service stations across the state would need to report their prices to the government’s FuelWatch service. Retailers that did not comply would face increased fines of up to $4000. “Future measures that compel retailers to flag when they are out of fuel, or close to being, will be of great use to families, farmers and businesses, and will also help government to better identify the regions that are experiencing fuel shortages,” Mr Cook said.
In NSW, the state-run FuelCheck service will get an extra $2.2 million in funding to give motorists instant information about fuel prices from about 2400 service stations. Retailers that break the rules face on-the-spot fines of $1100, or court penalties of up to $22,000 for individuals and $110,000 for corporations.
Berlin/London: When Iceal Hambleton, a US air force navigator, was shot down over Vietnam more than half a century ago, any hopes of a swift rescue were quickly dashed.
The air force encountered some of the most ferocious anti-aircraft fire in the entire war during a string of failed rescue operations, costing the lives of 11 airmen and the loss of five aircraft.
It was not until 11 days later that Lieutenant Colonel Hambleton was rescued before he could fall into the clutches of the Northern Vietnamese, having evaded capture by hiding in a hole he dug in the jungle.
As tribesmen scour southern Iran for a second airman from the US F-15 fighter jet that was shot down on Friday, the unnamed crew member may be wondering whether he is at the beginning of a similar ordeal.
Kuwait says that two power and water desalination plants have been attacked by Iranian drones, leaving two power generation units out of service and resulting in “significant” damage.
In a post to X, the Kuwait army separately said the Kuwaiti air defences were “confronting hostile missile and drone attacks” earlier on Sunday morning.
“The General Staff of the Army notes that if explosion sounds are heard, they result from the air defense systems intercepting the hostile attacks,” the post reads.
“Everyone is requested to adhere to the security and safety instructions issued by the competent authorities.”
Reuters
Pope Leo XIV has used his first Easter vigil to call for harmony and peace as the US-Israeli war on Iran stretches into its second month and amid Russia’s ongoing campaign in Ukraine.
In his homily, Leo likened sin to the stone that covered Jesus’ tomb and was ultimately overturned, revealing his resurrection. Leo said there are stones representing sins that need to be overturned today.
“Some weigh heavily on the human heart, such as mistrust, fear, selfishness and resentment; others stemming from these inner struggles, sever the bonds between us through war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations,” Leo said.
“Let us not allow ourselves to be paralysed by them!” the pope said, calling on the faithful to make a commitment “so that the Easter gifts of harmony and peace may grow and flourish everywhere and always throughout the world.”
AP
Kuwait’s state-owned oil company has been forced to evacuate its headquarters, also home to the emirate’s oil ministry, after a fire erupted at the complex following an Iranian drone strike.
In a statement, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation said the building, which is in the port area of Kuwait City, was evacuated and firefighters were on the scene.
“[The] oil sector leadership is closely monitoring the assessment of damages resulting from the incident, in coordination with the relevant authorities, while taking all necessary measures to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the site,” the company said in a statement.
Bloomberg
