Trump confirms both military officers missing in Iran have been rescued
A U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle piloted by a member of the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron takes off from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, in support of regional security operations, April 30, 2021.Staff Sgt. Zade Vadnais | U.S. Air Force photoU.S. President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that two military officers missing in Iran have been rescued.MS Now had reported on Friday, citing two U.S. officials, that one crew member of a downed F-15 fighter jet had been rescued and that a second was missing."WE GOT HIM!" Trump said in a Truth Social post referring to the second officer.Trump said his administration did not initially confirm the rescue of the first crew member to not jeopardize the second operation."Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History," Trump said.Tehran and Washington confirmed Saturday that Iran downed the two-seat F-15E jet. The incident marks the first time Iranian forces have successfully shot down a U.S. combat aircraft since the U.S. and Israel began their airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28."This brave Warrior 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. "At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine."Separately, two U.S. officials said Saturday the pilot of a U.S. A-10 Warthog jet ejected from the aircraft that crashed in Kuwait after being hit by Iranian fire. The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post were first to report that the A-10 had been shot down.Countdown to Trump's deadlineMeanwhile, the U.S. has been ramping up the pressure on Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz, a key chokepoint between Iran and the Arabian peninsula for a large proportion of the world's oil and gas supplies.Trump said Saturday in a Truth Social post: "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 [sic] down on them."On March 26, Trump said he would extend a pause in attacking Iran's energy facilities by 10 days to April 6 at the request of the government of the Islamic Republic.In a televised address from the White House on Wednesday, Trump told Americans that he expects the Iran war to last another two to three weeks, but said the conflict was close to an end."We are going to finish the job, and we're going to finish it very fast," he said.The spot price for current physical cargoes of Brent crude oil soared Thursday to $141.36, the highest level since the 2008 financial crisis, according to S&P Global, which tracks the data.The spot price reflects the demand for Brent oil that will be delivered in the next 10 to 30 days. The high price for more immediate oil deliveries points to the tightness of physical supply right now due to the huge disruption trigged by the Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz.The price was $32.33 higher than the Brent crude futures contract for June delivery, which closed at $109.03 on Thursday.Iran's foreign minister, in principle, left the door open for peace talks with the U.S. amid talks about mediation from Pakistan, but he gave no sign of Tehran's willingness to bow to Trump's demands."We are deeply grateful to Pakistan for its efforts and have never refused to go to Islamabad. What we care about are the terms of a conclusive and lasting END to the illegal war that is imposed on us," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.Pakistan told the Associated Press on Saturday that efforts to broker a ceasefire are "right on track."Petrochemical zone struck in IranHowever, Iran appeared to maintain its retaliatory attacks on neighbors in the Gulf region, and seemed to be targeting petrochemical facilities.Abu Dhabi's media office said in a post on X that authorities in the city responded to multiple fires at the Borouge petrochemical plant "caused by falling debris following successful interceptions by air defence systems."Operations at the plant have been suspended, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said.Borouge did not immediately respond to CNBC's email on Sunday requesting confirmation. The company operates a petrochemical complex in Al Ruwais Industrial City in the United Arab Emirates, according to its website.Bahrain's state news agency reported that the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC) confirmed a "number of its operational units were subject to an attack by Iranian drones, in the early hours of Sunday morning."GPIC also did not immediately respond to CNBC's emailed request for comment.On Saturday, Iranian state media reported air strikes at a petrochemical zone in southwestern Iran, with at least five people injured. A projectile also hit an auxiliary building near the perimeter of Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, the Tasnim news agency said, killing one person. The operations of the plant were unaffected.Russia's state nuclear company Rosatom evacuated a further 198 of its staff from the site on Saturday, Russian news agencies reported, in evacuations already planned before the latest incident.The Israeli military, meanwhile, said it had carried out "a wave of strikes" on Tehran.— CNBC's Terri Cullen and Luke Fountain contributed to this report.
