The second crew member of the United States F-15E fighter jet that Iran downed has been recovered, Al-Jazeera reported on Sunday. According to a US official, the crew member was recovered after a “heavy firefight.” Later, Axios reported that US special forces conducted the feat. The other crew member was reportedly recovered shortly after the downing
Trump says Iran has 48 hours to make deal or face ‘hell’
United States President Donald Trump threatened Iran on Saturday ahead of the April 6 deadline, claiming that “all hell will reign down” on Tehran if it doesn’t reopen the Strait of Hormuz or reach a nuclear agreement with Washington. “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 down on them. Glory be to GOD,” Trump warned in a post on Truth Social. Previously, the US president declared that Washington is “getting rid of nuclear Iran.”
US said to have no info on second F-15 pilot
The United States Department of Defense (DoD) told the House Armed Services Committee that the status of the second crew member on the F-15E fighter jet downed in Iran is unknown, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Friday. According to a person familiar with the matter, the Pentagon confirmed to the committee that the jet was shot down and one crew member recovered. Meanwhile, it was reported that Iran shot down two US helicopters while they were tasked with search and rescue for the team of the downed F-15 jet.
NN: This is a tragic event. But its war. To me what is remarkable is how few planes have been shot down. it’s sad from two standpoints one is the weapons operator who sits in the back seat it’s still lost and in pearl. And two it gives the enemies of his great attempt to defeat Iran ammunition to cause hysteria and force a premature withdrawal. I hope that the American Rescue forces will find him before the Iranian Savages. I cannot conceive that people don’t seem to grasp the grave danger mankind faces from these religious fanatics of Iran. look they are developing intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons to attack the world. They demonstrate a willing to willingness to use any and all weapons they can get their hands on. And are state sponsors of terrorists the world over. It is battling to me as I listen to the commentary out there how the liberal lefties and even some conservatives don’t understand that these modern day Hitlers have to be stopped. What’s the use of having the world’s mightiest military if you can’t put boots on the ground? Why bother having an army. I agree with no more endless wars. But foreign wars are an absolutely necessary especially against Iran.
US fighter jet shot down over Iran, search underway for crew, US official says
A U.S. fighter jet was shot down over Iran and a search and rescue operation was underway for any survivors, a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday, in the first such known incident since the U.S. launched its war with Iran on February 28.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not offer further details. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command did not respond to requests for comment. The prospect of U.S. pilots being alive and on the run inside Iran during an ongoing conflict greatly raises the stakes for the United States in the conflict. Iranian officials called on civilians to be on the lookout for survivors. The governor of Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said whomever captured or killed the crew “would be specially commended,” according to the semi-official Iranian news agency ISNA.
Kuwait oil refinery hit in latest attack
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation told the state news agency KUNA that its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery was hit by drones on Friday, sparking fires in several operational units. The company said that no casualties have been reported, adding that emergency and firefighting teams are working to contain fires. It also stressed that no negative environmental impacts have been recorded so far as a result of the attack. Earlier in the morning, the Kuwaiti military said its air defenses were working to intercept “hostile drones and missiles” that entered the country’s airspace, urging citizens to follow security instructions issued by authorities.
NN; At this rate their will be little oil to ship down the straights
Trump: With a little more time, we can easily open Hormuz
United States President Donald Trump signaled on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz, currently blocked by Iran, could be open soon. “With a little more time, we can easily
OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A ‘GUSHER’ FOR THE WORLD,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
The US president has repeatedly called on NATO allies to help reopen the Strait and slammed them for refusing to do so. He even hinted at a possible US exit from the alliance. Meanwhile, Iran warned that the maritime route would stay closed “long-term” for all ships from the US and Israel
NN: I repeat its all abut the straights and the amount of oil flowing through it. Which right now it ain’t much
Hopes dim for swift end to Iran war after Trump speech, oil prices surge anew
Hopes for a swift end to the Middle East war faded on Thursday after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed more aggressive strikes on Iran, disappointing investors hoping for clearer signals of a way out of the month-long conflict.
Stocks slid, oil prices surged and the dollar gained after Trump said military operations would be intensified in the next two to three weeks, offering no concrete timeline for ending hostilities that have sparked global energy supply chaos and threatened to send the world economy into a tailspin.
The Reuters Iran Briefing newsletter keeps you informed with the latest developments and analysis of the Iran war. Sign up here. “I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly,” Trump said in a Wednesday evening prime-time speech. “We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks. We’re going to bring them back to the Stone Ages where they belong.” Trump also suggested the war could escalate if Iranian leaders did not give in to U.S. terms during negotiations, with strikes on Iran’s energy and oil infrastructure possible. Iran’s armed forces responded with a warning for the United States and Israel of “more crushing, broader and more destructive” attacks in store.
Ebrahim Zolfaqari, a spokesperson of the Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, said the war would continue until the “permanent regret and surrender” of Tehran’s enemies, according to a statement shared by Iranian media.
NO REASSURANCE ON ENERGY CRISIS
Benchmark Brent crude prices jumped about 6% to $107.69 per barrel, with little reassurance from Trump’s address about how the critical Strait of Hormuz energy conduit would reopen. Prices had fallen earlier on Thursday after settling lower in the previous session. Stocks took a hit, with U.S. index futures down 1.3% and European futures sinking over 2%. Almost all Asian bourses were in the red, with Japan’s Nikkei (.N225), down 2.4% and MSCI’s index of other Asia-Pacific shares down more than 2%. “If he (Trump) was trying to inspire confidence in the markets, he has not done that,” said Russel Chesler, Head of Investments and Capital Markets at Vaneck Australia. “The key question in all investors’ minds is ‘When is this going to be over?'” There was no let up in hostilities, with the Israeli military saying it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory. Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said it had intercepted four drones on Thursday and Abu Dhabi said its defence systems had intercepted a missile near an economic zone, with minor damage caused. The U.S. embassy in Baghdad urged its citizens to leave Iraq, warning of attacks in the capital by Iran-allied militia in the next 24-48 hours. Trump in his speech mentioned what he called a short-term rise in domestic gasoline prices but said the U.S. did not need the strait and he challenged allies who rely on oil in the region to work towards reopening it. He blamed the higher costs on Iran’s “deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers”.
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NN: Iran’s only play is to get oil prices so high the world caves in. Trumps has no choice but to take control of the shipping lanes and return product to the market. Either way things are about to get very ugly. As in extreme disruption in oil supplies.
Gold down 2%, silver dips 5% amid Iran crisis
Prices of precious metals plummeted on Thursday, erasing yesterday’s gains, with gold dropping more than 2% and silver sinking over 5%, as United States President Donald Trump signaled a quick end to the military campaign against Iran. Trump said that the US could leave Iran in “two or three weeks,” and insisted that Washington’s “core strategic objectives” are “nearing completion.”
Gold dropped 2.45% to $4,642.66 per ounce, while silver plunged 5.53% to $70.95 per ounce at 1:40 am ET. At the same time, platinum lost 1.50% to $1,948.22 per ounce, and palladium fell 1.10% to $1,466.24 per ounce.
NN: I sure hope you are making my precious metals trades
Oil up 6% as Trump vows fresh attacks on Iran
Crude oil prices rose sharply on Thursday after the United States President Donald Trump said that the US will hit Iran “extremely hard” in the coming weeks, further escalating tensions. He also stressed that the US does not need oil from the Middle East and that its forces are there only “to help.” He also urged the countries that depend on oil shipments from the Strait of Hormuz to “grab it” or buy oil from the US. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May’s deliveries surged by 6.30% at 2:12 am ET to $106.44 per barrel. At the same time, Brent for deliveries in June climbed by 6.73% to $108.01 per barrel.
IRGC: Trump’s ‘ridiculous displays’ won’t open Hormuz
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared on Wednesday that the Strait of Hormuz “will not be opened to the enemies of this nation by ridiculous displays” of United States President Donald Trump. “We would also like to remind the noble and history-making nation of Islamic Iran that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is also firmly and dominantly under the control of the IRGC Navy,” the guard said in a statement. Earlier today, Trump claimed that the Iranian “new regime” president asked him for a ceasefire, but underlined that Washington would agree to it once the passage is open.