US/Israel-Iran War (Day 37): US rescues missing airman as Trump issues another deadline

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It is now 37 days since the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes that triggered a sweeping Iranian retaliation.

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What began as a targeted military operation has hardened into a full-blown regional war, one that has extended conflict across the Middle East and convulsed the global economy.

Iran continues to maintain a tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz, the critical waterway through which a significant share of the world’s oil and gas supplies flow, while striking economic targets in Gulf states it accuses of supporting the US-Israeli war effort.

Here is a comprehensive roundup of major developments on the 36th day of the war.

Missing US fighter rescued

President Donald Trump announced that the United States military has rescued the second crew member of an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet downed over southwestern Iran, ending a tense two-day search operation.

The rescue efforts began after Iran said on Friday that its air defences had brought down the aircraft — the latest such incident since Washington and Tel Aviv launched their joint assault on Iran on 28 February.

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PREMIUM TIMES reported that the first crew member was rescued shortly after the crash.

Mr Trump said the second airman “is now safe and sound.”

48-hour deadline to make a deal

Mr Trump has issued another threat to Iran, writing that it has two days to “make a deal or open up the Hormuz Strait”.

The American leader reiterated his demands for Tehran to make a deal or relinquish control of the waterway. He warned that “all hell” would rain down within 48 hours otherwise.

The brief post offered no further details, but it followed a series of posts earlier in the week in which the US president threatened to attack Iran’s power plants, oil facilities and, potentially, all of its desalination infrastructure.

Tehran responded by calling Mr Trump’s post a “helpless and nervous” ultimatum.

Talks at a Standstill

Diplomatic efforts to end the war remain deadlocked.

No meaningful negotiations have resumed, and Mr Trump’s repeated public threats have further narrowed the space for back-channel dialogue.

The combination of military escalation and hardening rhetoric on both sides has left little room for a near-term settlement.

Iran exempts Iraqi ships from Hormuz restrictions

In a development that analysts said could signal a calibrated easing of tensions with Baghdad, Iran announced on Saturday that Iraqi vessels would be exempted from all restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, in a statement reported by Al Jazeera, said controls would apply only to “enemy countries,” explicitly excluding Iraq.

“We hold profound respect for Iraq’s national sovereignty,” the military command said.

The announcement was seen as the latest effort by Tehran to distinguish between nations it views as adversaries in the conflict and those it regards as neutral or sympathetic.

Attacks on Iranian medical facilities and schools draw international concern

The US and Israel have carried out multiple strikes on medical infrastructure inside Iran since the war began, prompting an appeal from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to international health organisations.

READ ALSO: US/Israel-Iran War (Day 36): Tehran shoots down two American jets, as Ceasefire talks collapse

Mr Pezeshkian specifically cited the targeting of the Pasteur Institute in Tehran, a leading public health facility among a string of medical sites hit during the conflict. Iranian officials said more than 30 universities have also been struck since hostilities began. The WHO and other UN bodies have condemned the deliberate targeting of health facilities during the war.

Iran’s joint military headquarters, through its spokesperson, maintained a firm line on retaliation, warning that any further attack would be met in kind. “In case of any attack, there is going to be retaliation — a tit-for-tat strategy,” the spokesperson said, in what observers described as a strong message of defiance and resilience from Tehran.

Hours after Mr Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum, Iran launched a wave of missiles and drones targeting both Israel and Kuwait early on Sunday.

Both countries said their air defence systems were actively responding to the incoming projectiles on Sunday morning.

Kuwait confirmed that the Iranian drone attacks had caused damage to power infrastructure and water desalination plants and sparked a fire at an oil complex, though no injuries were immediately reported.

In a separate statement, Iranian authorities said US-Israeli strikes had killed five people and wounded 170 others at the Mahshahr Petrochemical Zone — one of Iran’s major industrial hubs.