The United States and Iran are closing ranks in a frantic search for the missing American pilot , following the downing of his F-15E. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump is threatening an escalation of the war , reminding the Tehran leadership, in a post on Truth , that they still have 48 hours to sign an agreement or open the Strait of Hormuz , otherwise they will face "hell." The US Air Force deploys highly trained teams to recover airmen and sensitive equipment that have ended up in enemy territory: "mission impossible" specialists. For the US, recovering the second pilot after the unexpected downing of the jet, the first in Operation Epic Fury, is a vital issue (Trump said in his address to the nation on Wednesday that Iran has "no anti-aircraft equipment" and that its radars are "100% destroyed"). And for Iran, his capture would increase its negotiating leverage with Washington, leveraging its well-established experience in hostage-taking. Tehran media have released footage of numerous armed men heading to the mountains of Khuzestan, in the south of the country, a remote area to "capture the American," lured in part by the "valuable" reward for capturing the enemy alive. The Mehr news agency quoted Fattah Mohammadi, deputy governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, as saying that the search for the missing pilot has mobilized "popular forces and tribal members alongside military forces, and is ongoing," denying initial rumors of the airman's capture.
THREATS – Trump, meanwhile, threatened escalation, recalling his March 26 ultimatum : "Remember when I gave Iran ten days to REACH A DEAL or OPEN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ? Time is running out: 48 hours left before all hell breaks loose ," he wrote on Truth. The tycoon met for several hours on Friday with his closest aides to discuss how to respond to the downing of the F-15E and A-10 Warthog , after telling NBC News that the latest developments would not impact negotiations with Tehran.
Tehran firmly rejected the ultimatum , through General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi, in a statement released from the central headquarters of Khatam al-Anbiya:
