US President Donald Trump has threatened in an expletive-laden rant to strike Iran’s power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened by his Monday deadline.
“Open the F*****’ Strait, you crazy b******s, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social account on Sunday.
In a separate post, he announced a press conference about the rescued US airman, to be held on Monday.
The American military successfully located the pilot who was missing after his F-15 fighter jet was shot down in enemy territory, with Mr Trump declaring “WE GOT HIM” on social media.
The airman is reportedly injured, but alive.
The daring operation, described as the ultimate “needle in a haystack” search, apparently involved sowing disinformation to deceive the Iranians, who were also looking for the downed US servicemember.
“Prior to locating the officer and the US military’s daring rescue, the CIA first launched a deception campaign, spreading word inside Iran that US forces had already found him and were moving him on the ground for exfiltration out of the country,” Fox News national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin said, citing a Trump administration official.
“While the Iranians were confused and uncertain of what was happening, the agency used its unique, exquisite capabilities to search for – and find – the American airman. This was the ultimate ‘needle in a haystack’, but in this case it was a brave American soul inside a mountain crevice, invisible but for the CIA’s capabilities.
“The CIA immediately shared the (airman’s) exact location with the Pentagon and the White House. The President ordered an immediate rescue mission, which CENTCOM executed with boldness and precision, with CIA continuing to provide real time information.”
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