US Forces Rescue Downed F-15 Pilot From Iran After Fierce 48-Hour Hunt

The US successfully rescued Col. Michael Falcon from behind enemy lines in Iran.

“"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 wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social”

9News.au

Trump hailed the operation as one of the most daring in US military history.

9News.au

The rescue involved dozens of aircraft and extensive special forces.

The IRGC claimed it destroyed a US aircraft during the operation.

The rescue came as Trump set a 48-hour deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump set a 48-hour deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face strikes on energy infrastructure.

The Strait accounts for 20% of global oil and gas trade.

Action News Jax

Iran's central military command called Trump's ultimatum a helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action.

Israel also prepared to strike Iranian energy facilities.

The bombing escalated across the region as strikes hit 220 sites.

“The missing crew member from a US F-15E jet shot down in Iran on Friday has been found and rescued after a dramatic firefight as United States President Donald Trump set a 48-hour deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz”

Al Jazeera

Russia warned that Israel and the US were on a collision course.

At least five people were killed in US-Israeli attacks in Iran during Falcon's rescue.

The IAEA warned of a grave risk of radiological release.

More than 30 Iranian universities closed indefinitely.

International legal experts questioned the war's justification.

Gary Sick said we cannot attack a country without any justifiable reason.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Iran's nuclear agency condemned the strikes as war crimes and acts of terrorism.

Only 21% of Americans approved of Trump's handling of Iran.