THE WASHINGTON POST: Donald Trump tells Iran ‘all hell will rain down’ if 48-hour Hormuz ultimatum not met

US forces were racing to find a missing F-15 crew member in Iran as the risky search-and-rescue mission entered its second day. The fighter jet was one of two military aircraft shot down Friday while conducting combat operations against Iran.

President Donald Trump has indicated his interest in wrapping up military involvement in Iran within the next few weeks. But if the missing crew member is not rescued - or is taken prisoner - it could create a significant issue for the administration as it tries to force negotiations with the new Iranian regime.

Trump did not comment directly on the unfolding situation on social media or in media interviews as rescue operations continued Saturday, only posting around 10 a.m. on Truth Social that Iran had 48 hours to come to an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “before all Hell will rain down on them.”

Inside the Pentagon, there was also a tight focus on information silence as the agency worked the rescue.

“Everybody in the world cares about that service member and getting them home safely - and how it will affect the war,” a US official told The Washington Post on Saturday.

The loss of the F-15 marked the first known instance of an American crewed aircraft being brought down inside hostile territory since the US-Israeli war in Iran began five weeks ago.

The F-15E fighter jet and A-10 attack plane were both hit by incoming fire, US officials said Friday. Both crew members ejected from the F-15 after their plane crashed inside Iran; one was rescued and is in US care.

In a separate incident, the pilot of the A-10 navigated the damaged plane to Kuwaiti airspace before ejecting and was subsequently rescued, the officials said. The developments were confirmed by three US officials speaking to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity to discuss an evolving situation.

Two US search-and-rescue helicopters were hit by Iranian fire, injuring US personnel on board.

Combat search-and-rescue operations are inherently risky because the helicopters and planes used for them fly lower to the ground and must rely on other aircraft to protect them from enemy fire.

In Iran, state media has shown footage of people appearing to head into the mountains in Khuzestan carrying rifles to search for the missing crew member. Earlier, it said “many people” travelled to the area to “capture” the American and said Iranian armed forces called on people not to “mistreat the pilot.” Iranian television also broadcast a statement offering people in the area a “valuable” reward for the capture of an enemy pilot alive.

Strikes continued across the region Saturday with Israel attacking regime targets in Tehran and Iran launching a wave of strikes against Israel. Iran also accused the United States and Israel of carrying out strikes on petrochemical plants across Khuzestan, as well as the Bushehr nuclear power plant near the Persian Gulf - claims that US and Israeli authorities have not confirmed.

Separately, the State Department announced Saturday that the “niece and grand niece of deceased Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qasem Soleimani were arrested by federal agents” after Secretary of State Marco Rubio took away their lawful permanent resident status.

Trump, during his first term, directed the January 2020 military operation that killed Soleimani. The State Department said his niece, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, had “promoted Iranian regime propaganda.” Both women are in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the announcement.

Friday’s attacks on US aircraft have undercut the Trump administration’s assertions of dominance over Iranian skies and raised questions about how much of Iran’s arsenal remains intact after more than a month of heavy bombardment by US and Israeli forces.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described it as a “black day” for American and Israeli air forces. Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, mocked the US in a post on X: “After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from ‘regime change’ to ‘Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?’ Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses.”

The Pentagon and the White House have not issued public statements on the incident. In comments to NBC News, Trump rejected the idea it could impede negotiations to end the conflict.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois), who lost her legs while serving as an Army helicopter pilot during the war in Iraq, said her heart went out to those involved in the operation.

“As someone shot down behind enemy lines, my heart goes out to the crew members and their loved ones who are waiting for answers,” she wrote on X. “It’s a relief one servicemember has been found and rescued, and I’m grateful for those risking their lives to look for the one who remains missing.”

Thirteen US service members have been killed in the war to date, including seven who died as a result of hostile fire and six killed in a plane crash in Iraq. Nearly 370 others have been wounded, according to publicly released tallies.

Friday’s incidents mark the fourth loss of an F-15 since the Iran war began and the first known loss of an A-10 during the conflict.

Suzan Haidamous contributed to this report.

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