Live Updates: US Rescues Airman in Iran Amid Escalating Conflict Over Strait of Hormuz

By Catherine Nicholls, Tal Shalev, Issy Ronald, Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak, Billy Stockwell, Sophie Tanno, Xiaoqian Lin, Chris Lau, Kit Maher, Jessie Yeung, Brad Lendon, Mitchell McCluskey, Julia Benbrook, Robert Ilich, Kareem El Damanhoury, Tori B. Powell

*Published: 2026-04-05T04:03:42.373Z*

War with Iran

The conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran began on February 28, 2026, following US-Israeli airstrikes that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) figures. Developments have included strikes on infrastructure by both sides.

US Military Conducts Rescue Operation for Downed Airman

A US airman whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran evaded capture for more than a day by hiding and navigating rugged terrain, according to US officials who spoke to CNN. The rescue involved hundreds of personnel and a CIA operation to mislead potential pursuers. US forces extracted the airman, who sustained wounds but is expected to recover, officials said.

President Donald Trump stated the airman would be "just fine" and plans to address reporters on the mission on Monday.

Video from CNN details the operation: [How the US military rescued the fighter jet crew member who crashed in Iran (01:08)](link-to-video).

Trump Reiterates Deadline for Strait of Hormuz

President Trump set a deadline of Monday, April 6, at 8 p.m. ET, for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route. In social media posts and interviews, he warned of strikes on Iranian power plants, bridges, and other infrastructure if no agreement is reached.

On Sunday afternoon, Trump posted on social media: “Tuesday, 8:00 P.M. Eastern Time!” Earlier, he wrote: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah.”

In interviews, Trump elaborated. To Axios, he said: “If they don’t make a deal, I am blowing up everything over there.” To The Wall Street Journal, he added: “If they don’t come through, if they want to keep it closed, they’re going to lose every power plant and every other plant they have in the whole country,” and “if they don’t do something by Tuesday evening, they won’t have any power plants and they won’t have any bridges standing.”

Trump has also referenced water treatment plants as potential targets. International humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols, prohibits attacks on objects indispensable to civilian survival, such as power plants and drinking water installations, when they are civilian objects. Both US threats and Iranian strikes on energy infrastructure in Gulf states, including facilities near civilian areas, have raised concerns under these rules. Iran's actions have included targeting sites that caused refinery fires in Kuwait and damage to an aluminum plant in the UAE, injuring workers, according to reports from those countries.

The White House has not responded to CNN inquiries about the posts.

Iran's Response and Oman-Mediated Talks

A senior Iranian official, Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy for communications at the Iranian president’s office, stated the Strait of Hormuz would reopen fully only after compensation for war-related financial damages. He described Trump’s message as reflecting “sheer desperation and rage.”

Omani sources reported ongoing talks with Iran over the past two weeks on a “safe passage protocol” for commercial shipping through the strait.

Iran’s military reported targeting energy sites around the Persian Gulf in response to US-Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure. The IRGC specified fuel and petrochemical facilities in Bahrain, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates, with UAE authorities confirming projectiles aimed at the port of Khor Fakkan.

Israeli Strikes in Lebanon Target Hezbollah Positions

Israeli strikes in Lebanon killed at least 11 people on Sunday, according to local officials and media reports. The strikes occurred amid Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operations targeting Hezbollah weapons caches in southern Lebanon.

In Kfarhata, a southern village, one strike killed seven people, including a 4-year-old girl, per Lebanon’s National News Agency citing the health ministry. The IDF had issued an overnight evacuation order for residents to move at least one kilometer away.

A separate strike in a residential area of Beirut near Rafik Hariri Public Hospital killed at least four people and injured 40, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), which provides support at the hospital. Dr. Luna Hammad, MSF medical coordinator, described patients including elderly individuals and adolescents with injuries to the head, chest, abdomen, and shrapnel wounds.

On the same day, IDF raids in nearby villages and schools seized anti-tank missiles, RPGs, and rockets from Hezbollah cells, according to IDF statements.

Geolocated images showed rubble from collapsed buildings and smoke plumes after the Beirut strike; the IDF had issued an evacuation order for the area earlier Saturday.

CNN contacted the IDF for comment. Reporting contributed by Farida Elsebai and Lauren Izso.

Lawmakers React to Defense Budget Request

The White House requested approximately $1.5 trillion for defense in the fiscal 2027 budget, a more than 40% increase from the previous year, amid ongoing operations against Iran.

Democratic lawmakers expressed reservations. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told ABC News the Pentagon has “more than enough resources” from prior funding and called for stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

Sen. Tim Kaine, on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told NBC he struggled to justify the increase, stating Congress would not issue a “blank check” to current leadership.

Rep. Adam Smith, top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, told NewsNation he views the war as a “mistake” but suggested raising taxes to fund it if continued, rather than adding to debt.

Republican lawmakers defended the request. House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News the budget is essential for “deterring aggression from Iran and its proxies” and supports “readiness in a dangerous world.” Sen. Lindsey Graham, on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said on CNN the increase addresses “real threats” and is “long overdue after years of underfunding.”

Reporting contributed by Tami Luhby and Adam Cancryn.

Additional Developments

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf accused Trump of risking a “living HELL” for US families and the region, claiming Trump follows “Netanyahu’s commands,” in an English-language X post Sunday.

Fox News reporter Trey Yingst said Trump told him Iran sought to delay negotiations, prompting a US strike on a bridge near Tehran last week. Trump indicated a “good chance” of a deal by Monday, despite no public Iranian signals.

Trump confirmed to Fox News US weapons shipments to Kurdish forces aimed to arm Iranian protesters, aligning with a prior CNN report.

CNN geolocated Iranian state media video showing burnt aircraft wreckage in southern Esfahan province; the type and ownership remain unclear.

OPEC stated repairs to damaged energy infrastructure are “costly and time-consuming,” potentially disrupting supplies long-term.

Earlier top headlines:

• Iran's military targeted energy sites in the Persian Gulf.

• Ongoing threats exchanged over infrastructure.

CNN contributors: Billy Stockwell, Ibrahim Dahman, Matthew Chance, Issy Ronald, Dalia Abdelwahab, Kit Maher.

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