Summary
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Second downed pilot recovered after US Special Forces raid and firefight inside Iran.
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Fire Breaks Out At Kuwait Oil Ministry Complex After Iran Drone Strike
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President Trump reminds Iran of deal timeline, threatens “all hell will reign down” if time runs out.
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Israel launched heavy strikes on Tehran, targeting Iranian air-defense and ballistic-missile sites, while a projectile also hit the perimeter of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant
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The U.S. military continued search operations for an American airman who ejected after an F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran
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US Special Forces Recover 2nd Downed Pilot
We have now witnessed an initial ‘boots on the ground’ moment as a high risk US special forces raid and aerial operation has recovered the second crew member from the downed F-15E jet, which was shot down in Iran on Saturday. US officials have confirmed that the downed pilot from the F-15E jet has been “recovered” in Iran following a “heavy firefight” – according to Al Jazeera, Axios, and others.
Per Axios: “The shootdown was a nightmare scenario for the U.S. military, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also racing to locate the missing U.S. officer in southwest Iran over the past 36 hours. Both crew members were rescued in special forces operations inside Iran.”
The report continues, “One of the U.S. officials said Saturday’s operation was conducted by a specialized commando unit with a high volume of air cover, that the U.S. forces unleashed a hail of heavy fire, and that all of the forces were now out of Iran.”
Former Ranger/Special Forces veteran turned journalist Jack Murphy first broke the story late Saturday night. His investigative reporting on sensitive operations, particularly in Syria, has been previously featured by ZeroHedge. He writes:
Good news for once. F-15 WSO recovered alive. Was escaping and evading. Massive fire fight on tgt. Iranians were actively looking for him in the area.
He called the whole saga “dicey as hell” but says late into the night (US time) that all American forces are now out of harm’s way…
Wheels up all friendlies out. C130 got a wheel stuck in the sand at the FARP and a Delta element had to come in and blow it in place. Whole op sounds dicey as hell but they pulled it off. Goodnight. https://t.co/3LuuXE1Jny
— Jack Murphy (@JackMurphyRGR) April 5, 2026
President Trump issued a statement on Truth Social: “WE GOT HIM!…”
Another F-15 also got shot up, but didn’t crash. https://t.co/wJUw7U9Jxv
— Jack Murphy (@JackMurphyRGR) April 3, 2026
More from Jack Murphy…
Good news for once.
F-15 WSO recovered alive. Was escaping and evading. Massive fire fight on tgt. Iranians were actively looking for him in the area.
— Jack Murphy (@JackMurphyRGR) April 4, 2026
Intense Clashes Reported Between US and Iranian Forces Over Search And Rescue Of Downed F-15 Crew Member
There are intense clashes underway according to unconfirmed reports, between US and Iranian forces in Southwestern Iran, in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari provinces, related to rescue operations for our downed F-15 crew member who contrary to multiple rumors, has not been extracted yet.
The video below shows fighting between USAF CSAR teams and IRGC Basij militants attempting to capture the second F-15E crew member.
Heavy clashes have been reported in Dehdasht, a city in the Central District of Kohgiluyeh County, where the second American pilot was reportedly spotted. pic.twitter.com/DDleOptrfD
— Afshin Ismaeli (@Afshin_Ismaeli) April 5, 2026
According to unconfirmed reports, the IRGC has sent a special team to the region, and heavy clashes between them and the U.S. Army are ongoing.
Reports indicate that clashes continue in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, with many IRGC forces present on the ground.
Where Iranian officials said they were searching for American fighter jet crew member (NYT) pic.twitter.com/EorrBx7mGx
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) April 4, 2026
According to subsequent reports, In the village of Shitab near Dehdasht, where rumors spread that the pilot had been seen, a large crowd gathered to capture him. According to reports, a U.S. A-10 fighter jet has been deployed to the area for support.
Live Update 9: US Missing Pilot – In Iran
These video is from tonight are from the heart of the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad mountains in IRAN ; a place where they had gone to search for the missing US pilot, but they have been targeted by US forces
Note : The U.S. Army has… pic.twitter.com/24LcAiFRcV
— Botin Kurdistani (@kurdistannews24) April 5, 2026
The U.S. Army has established a “fire zone” in the Dehdasht area inside Iran, around the location where the missing U.S. pilot was reportedly found alive. The U.S. is not allowing anyone to enter this area. US military search on the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad mountains continues
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Fire Breaks Out At Kuwait Oil Ministry Complex After Iran Drone Strike
Kuwait’s Finance Ministry said an Iranian drone targeted the country’s Ministries Complex Saturday evening, causing significant material damage. No injuries were recorded and emergency teams are dealing with the incident, the ministry said in a statement. The complex, located in Kuwait City, is home to several ministries including the Finance Ministry, Industry and Commerce and the Justice Ministry. Employees of the complex will be working remotely Sunday, the statement said. A drone attack also caused a fire just a few miles away at the Shuwaikh oil sector complex in Kuwait City, officials said. Kuwait said it was intercepting waves of drones and missiles during the time of the attacks.
BREAKING: Kuwait’s Ministry of Oil building has been hit in an Iranian attack.
Large fire reported at the ministry complex in Shuwaikh.The ministry runs Kuwait’s entire oil sector. Iran is now hitting the buildings that set Gulf oil policy, not just the facilities that produce… pic.twitter.com/OYtFUHb88Y
— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) April 4, 2026
Additionally, according to Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, two Kuwaiti power and water desalination plants were attacked by Iranian drones, causing ‘significant damage.’
Kuwait says two power plants and water desalination plants were attacked by Iranian drones, resulting in significant material damage and the shutdown of two electricity generating units https://t.co/Rj7sJoTJam pic.twitter.com/fHcvLfqZVB
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) April 5, 2026
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President Trump Reminds Iran of Timeline, Threatens “All Hell Will Reign Down”
As the long weekend continues, President Trump has issued a statement on his social media feed, reminding Iranian negotiators of his timeline for a deal:
Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT.
And then the threat:
Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.
Glory be to GOD! President DONALD J. TRUMP
The odds of ‘boots on the ground’ have soared to 83% by the end of the month:
It seems the stock market’s hope (diverging from oil’s surge) was misplaced…for now.
Search Operations Continue for Missing Airmen Continues
With U.S. and Israeli air-delivered munitions still striking targets across Iran, and Tehran retaliating by hitting high-value sites around the Gulf area, while continuing to disrupt the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict is now entering its sixth week with no credible signs of near-term de-escalation. Add in President Trump’s speech last week, which warned that intense targeting could continue for a few more weeks, and it’s a very fair assessment that the conflict will carry into next week, with momentum and escalation to the upside.
On Saturday, the U.S. military continued search operations for an American airman who ejected after an F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran, marking the first downed U.S. aircraft in the conflict. One crew member was rescued, but the second remained missing, with Iranian forces also racing to find the missing pilot.
The downed F-15 jet came shortly after a U.S. Black Hawk was hit by ground fire, and an A-10 Thunderbolt II reportedly crashed Friday near the Hormuz chokepoint. Friday was not a great day for U.S. aircraft as the conflict intensified.
C-17 Globemaster IIIs are on the move.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 With one of the F-15 pilots still missing in Iran, the U.S conducted the largest visible airlift of the war so far.
C-17s carrying tons of cargo to the Middle East, along with KC-135 refueling tankers, essential for extended duration airstrikes.pic.twitter.com/rHPKx04dYb https://t.co/v9atjkSCGN
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 4, 2026
Strikes Continue on Both Sides
In a rapidly escalating phase of the US-Israel war on Iran (now around day 36+ since late February strikes that targeted Iranian leadership and infrastructure), Tehran has intensified its retaliation while the US and Israel press air campaigns. Iranian missiles struck central Israel on Saturday, triggering widespread sirens and causing visible damage, including to residential areas and an industrial zone near Beersheba. Reports mentioned cluster bomb effects and shrapnel injuries, though Israeli defenses intercepted many projectiles.
At the same time, Israel launched heavy strikes on Tehran, targeting Iranian air-defense and ballistic-missile sites, while a projectile also hit the perimeter of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant, according to the semiofficial Iranian Tasnim news agency. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Iran had notified them about the incident.
🚨🇮🇷🇮🇱 The IDF just posted footage of a ballistic missile launcher being destroyed in Tabriz, Iran’s 4th largest city, deep in the northwest.
That’s the IDF reaching across the entire country to take out the thing shooting at Tel Aviv.
They found it, filmed it, and posted it.… https://t.co/YOKobSXGY1 pic.twitter.com/hMhX5uhTLc
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) April 4, 2026
Let’s not forget President Trump’s speech on Wednesday, in which he suggested the conflict could continue for weeks and insisted the missing airman would not alter efforts to negotiate an end to the conflict.
Iran launched a fresh missile barrage at central Israel, causing fires, damage in areas like Negev, Rosh Haayin, Bnei Brak, and reports of cluster munitions; minor injuries reported, with one man hurt in Bnei Brak.
An apparent Iranian drone damaged the Dubai headquarters of the U.S. tech giant Oracle on Saturday after Iranian forces threatened dozens of US firms. Iran has been targeting Gulf area data centers, and reports of a water desalination plant on Friday made headlines.
Latest headlines
(courtesy of Bloomberg):
US Military Losses
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Iran shot down a US F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet on Friday, with one crew member still missing and search-and-rescue operations ongoing [APW] [BN] [APW]
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A second US combat plane reportedly crashed in the Persian Gulf the same day [BN] [APW]
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Iran has called on the public to find the ‘enemy pilot’ and is promising a reward [APW]
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Iran says it used a new air defence system to target the US fighter jet [NS1]
Iranian Attacks
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Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted an Israel-linked ship, the MSC Ishyka, with a drone attack in the Strait of Hormuz, setting it on fire [NS8] [NS1]
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Iranian cluster missiles hit central Israel with at least four impact sites and reports of vehicles on fire [NS8]
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Missile fragments impacted near Tel Aviv after an Iranian missile barrage, with no casualties reported [JPT]
US-Israeli Strikes
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US-Israeli strikes allegedly hit multiple areas in Iran on Saturday, targeting government-affiliated and industrial facilities including the Bushehr nuclear site [NS8]
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More than 30 universities across Iran have been directly targeted by US-Israeli strikes since the war began in late February [NS8]
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The US destroyed the B1 Bridge in Karaj on April 2 in two separate bombings, targeting what Iran describes as a civilian engineering project [NS8]
Diplomatic Efforts
- Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt are working to bring the US and Iran back to the negotiating table with a compromise framework focusing on ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz [NS8]
Global Impact
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The war has entered its sixth week with energy prices rising and little sign that Iran will back down or reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz [BN]
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Senegal has banned all but essential foreign trips for government ministers due to cost-saving measures triggered by the energy crisis linked to the Iran war [APW]
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Chinese firms with ties to the military are marketing detailed intelligence on US force movements as the war continues [WPT]
In commodity markets, the ongoing energy shock, with crude and LNG facilities across the Gulf area disrupted and the Hormuz chokepoint still clogged, prompted Goldman analyst Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby to ask on Friday evening: “Are We Running Out Of Oil?”
“As the last tankers that crossed the Strait of Hormuz before the war are reaching their destination, concerns about potential oil shortages are rising,” Grigsby told clients.
She said, “We analyze country-product-specific oil markets, identify pockets of potential extreme tightness, and discuss the potential evolution of near-term shortages if the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed for longer.”
“Our three-way analysis highlights already critically low supplies of petrochemical feedstocks — naphtha and LPG — in Asia, with cross-product scarcity in multiple Asian countries in April,” the analyst added.
To end the week, Brent futures and WTI futures both closed Friday in triple-digit territory as traders are becoming increasingly alarmed not just of the crude oil and LNG shortage spreading worldwide but also of petrochemical supply disruptions that are inbound that could affect plastics production, the core material that is bedrock for the modern economy.
Let’s remind readers of how the energy shock dominoes fall.
JPMorgan analysts mapped out how the energy shockwave from the Iran war spreads across the world, hitting Asia first, then Africa and Europe, before settling on the US – primarily California.
We’ll provide updates throughout the day as the situation in the Middle East is ongoing.
