A missing U.S. airman has been located alive in southern Iran, ending a tense multinational search but plunging Washington and Tehran into fresh diplomatic turmoil.
The weapons systems officer from a downed F-15 jet is now in Iranian custody, state media confirmed late Sunday, hours after civilians aided the effort with rewards offered for his capture.
The discovery comes amid soaring rhetoric. President Donald Trump warned on Truth Social that “all Hell will reign down on them” unless Iran negotiates or reopens the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, building on his 27 March pause of energy strikes. Iran rebuffed the ultimatum.
General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi declared “the gates of hell will open for you.” Ebrahim Zolfaghari from Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters added that escalation would turn the region into hell, calling Trump’s stance a helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action.
Friday’s jet incident saw the pilot rescued, but the officer vanished, sparking unusual cooperation. Social media showed crowds scouring hillsides near Dehdasht, where missiles later hit telecom towers per Tasnim News. Iranian reports cited four civilian deaths from a U.S.-Israeli strike; a U.S. A-10 was damaged in the rescue, its pilot saved over the Gulf.
Saturday’s barrages continued unabated. Iran targeted Iraq, Israel, and Gulf states; Kuwait suffered drone hits on power and desalination plants. Israel retaliated at Mahshahr’s petrochemical hub, killing five. Bushehr nuclear plant faced its fourth strike—one worker dead, but IAEA noted no radiation and urged restraint. Russia evacuated 198 staff.
Trump posted an outdated video of a supposed Tehran mega-strike, claiming “many of Iran’s Military Leaders, who have led them poorly and unwisely, are terminated, along with much else.” No independent confirmation followed.
Ignited by collapsed Geneva nuclear talks on 28 February, the war has choked Hormuz oil flows and driven Brent crude above $120 a barrel. The airman’s fate now tests fragile channels, with U.S. officials demanding his release amid warnings of broader escalation.