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Middle East crisis live: US and Iranian forces race to recover missing pilot from downed jet; Israel bombards Beirut | US-Israel war on Iran
Welcome summary
Hello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its impact on the region, the world and the global economy.
Iranian and American forces were racing each other early on Saturday to recover a crew member of the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war.
Tehran said it had shot down the F-15 warplane, while US media reported American special forces had rescued one of its two crew members and the other was still missing.
Iranian authorities urged people living in the country’s rugged south-west to search for the jet’s crew, as state TV broadcast images of what was said to be the mangled debris.
Iran’s military said it also downed a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, with US media saying the pilot was rescued.
US Central Command did not immediately comment on the loss of the F-15, but the White House said Donald Trump “has been briefed”.
The US president told NBC the F-15 loss would not affect negotiations with Iran, saying: “No, not at all. No, it’s war.”
Fresh strikes meanwhile hit Israel, Iran, Lebanon and Gulf countries – and large blasts reportedly rocked northern Tehran. Israel said it had launched a wave of strikes in the Iranian capital, alongside parallel attacks in Beirut.
Strikes by all sides have increasingly targeted economic and industrial sites, raising fears of wider disruption to global energy supplies.
Here are the other main news developments:
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Tehran rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, said Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, citing an unnamed source. There was no immediate comment from the US. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had officially told mediators it was unwilling to meet with US officials in Islamabad in the coming days.
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The UN force in Lebanon said a blast at one of its positions had wounded three peacekeepers, two of them seriously, in the third such incident in a week.
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Israeli fire killed a man in Syria’s Quneitra province in the south near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Syrian state media said. The man was killed in an attack by “an Israeli tank”, the Sana agency said, while state TV said a car was targeted.
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An Egyptian national was killed and four others wounded after a fire at a gas complex in Abu Dhabi, caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack, the government media office said. Two of the four people hurt were from Egypt, while the others were from Pakistan, it said.
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Trump asked lawmakers to approve a $1.5tn defence budget for 2027 as the US faces rising costs from its war with Iran and mounting global security commitments. The proposal would lift Pentagon spending by more than 40% in a single year – the sharpest increase since the second world war.
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The US embassy in Lebanon said Iran and allied groups could seek to target universities in the country, where Tehran-backed Hezbollah is at war with Israel and Israeli troops are carrying out a ground invasion.
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Three tankers, including one co-owned by a Japanese company, crossed the strait of Hormuz by hugging close to Oman’s shore – a rare transit route – maritime traffic data showed on Friday.
With agencies
Key events
Israel attacks Hezbollahs targets in Beirut after destroying bridge
The Israeli military said on Saturday it had begun striking “Hezbollah infrastructure” in Beirut after it destroyed a bridge in eastern Lebanon to prevent the Iran-backed group’s reinforcements from crossing.
Two loud explosions were heard in the capital within half an hour early on Saturday and smoke was billowing from the area of one of them, AFP is reporting.
Local media reported two strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area that has been a target of repeated Israeli strikes in recent days as the military presses on with its ground invasion in the country’s south as it seeks to establish a “security zone”.
Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters
On Friday the UN interim force in Lebanon (Unifil) said a blast at one of its positions in the country’s south near the border wounded three peacekeepers, as mentioned earlier – the third similar incident in days.
Israel’s military had warned it would target two adjacent bridges over the Litani River in the area “to prevent the transfer of reinforcements and military equipment”.
The Lebanese state-run National News Agency (NNA) said:
Israeli warplanes targeted the bridge that links Sohmor with Mashghara, leading to its destruction.
Lebanese local media reported that a second bridge was also hit.
The strikes in Sohmor continued into early Saturday, with the NNA reporting the town’s centre being hit twice as warplanes roared in the skies.
Israel has previously struck five other bridges over the Litani in the country’s south, including most of the main routes crossing the waterway.
Also in Sohmor, two people were killed and 15 wounded in an Israeli strike that hit “as worshippers were leaving the town’s mosque” after Friday prayers, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Lebanese authorities say more than 1,300 people have been killed in a month of hostilities.
Further to the last post: as combat search and rescue (CSAR) teams are activated to retrieve a missing pilot after a downing, their soldiers – such as retired master sergeant Scott Fales – have been suiting up in a “ready room”.
Experts like Fales – a pararescue jumper who played a key role in the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” incident in Mogadishu, Somalia – are always standing by whenever US aircraft are over enemy territory.
“Before any operations are conducted … there is always a CSAR plan,” Fales told Agence France-Presse.
Simultaneously, an immense amount of intelligence is gathered and analysed on the location and status of the missing aviator. Fales said:
Everything from human intelligence to imagery intelligence to, you know, all the different drones we have looking – signals intelligence. It’s all being used to try to find this guy.
Once the missing aviator is located, a rescue plan is formulated in real time inside the helicopters.
“Those gunners are spotting and looking for threats, the pilots are looking for a place to land, we’re reaching out to that downed aviator,” Fales said.
On the ground, they ensure the pilot is actually the person they are searching for, and a threat-versus-medical-needs assessment is done. In their minds, Fales said, would be:
What kind of immediate threat are we in? How much time do we have to get this person out? What kind of injuries do they have? And then we’ll make up our mind on the type, amount of treatment that’s needed on the scene – or do we just grab and go depending on the threat?
With a fellow soldier still unaccounted for in south-west Iran, Fales said he was “very hopeful” the aviator would be located.
I’m hoping that friendly people have found him and are hiding him. Or he’s still evading.
Hide, find water: ex-pilot tells how to survive being shot down
As US forces race against time and Iran’s military to locate an aviator reportedly shot down on Friday, a former air force pilot has detailed what it takes to hide, survive and extract someone behind enemy lines.
“You’re like, ‘Oh my God, I was in a fighter jet two minutes ago, flying 500 miles an hour, and a missile just exploded, literally 15 feet from your head,’” said retired brigadier general Houston Cantwell, who is now at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
With that said, a pilot’s training – known as survival, evasion, resistance and escape (Sere) – would likely kick in before he or she parachutes to the ground, the Agence France-Presse news agency’s report says.
“Your best view of where you may want to go or where you may want to avoid is while you’re coming down in your parachute,” said Cantwell, who logged 400 hours of combat flight experience, including missions over Iraq and Afghanistan.
Parachuting to the ground risked foot, ankle and leg injuries, the former airman said.
There are many stories of survivors from Vietnam that had severe injuries – compound fractures – just from the ejection.
Upon landing, “take an inventory of yourself to figure out: what condition am I in? Can I even move? Am I even mobile?”
Aviators then figure out where they are, whether it is behind enemy lines, where they can hide and how they can communicate.
Cantwell said:
Try to avoid enemy capture, as long as you can. And if I were in a desert environment, I’d want to try to find some water.
Simultaneously, combat search and rescue teams – highly trained soldiers and pilots already on alert – would be activated. But the missing crew member can increase the odds of a safe rescue. Cantwell said:
My priority would be, first of all, concealment, because I don’t want to be captured. I want to try to get to a location where I can get extracted.
In a city, that may be a rooftop. In a rural setting, a field where helicopters can land. Movement was best at night, he said.
Cantwell said that when he flew, he also carried a pistol.
Welcome summary
Hello and welcome to our continuing live coverage of the US-Israel war on Iran and its impact on the region, the world and the global economy.
Iranian and American forces were racing each other early on Saturday to recover a crew member of the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war.
Tehran said it had shot down the F-15 warplane, while US media reported American special forces had rescued one of its two crew members and the other was still missing.
Iranian authorities urged people living in the country’s rugged south-west to search for the jet’s crew, as state TV broadcast images of what was said to be the mangled debris.
Iran’s military said it also downed a US A-10 ground attack aircraft in the Gulf, with US media saying the pilot was rescued.
US Central Command did not immediately comment on the loss of the F-15, but the White House said Donald Trump “has been briefed”.
The US president told NBC the F-15 loss would not affect negotiations with Iran, saying: “No, not at all. No, it’s war.”
Fresh strikes meanwhile hit Israel, Iran, Lebanon and Gulf countries – and large blasts reportedly rocked northern Tehran. Israel said it had launched a wave of strikes in the Iranian capital, alongside parallel attacks in Beirut.
Strikes by all sides have increasingly targeted economic and industrial sites, raising fears of wider disruption to global energy supplies.
Here are the other main news developments:
-
Tehran rejected a US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire, said Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency, citing an unnamed source. There was no immediate comment from the US. Earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported that Iran had officially told mediators it was unwilling to meet with US officials in Islamabad in the coming days.
-
The UN force in Lebanon said a blast at one of its positions had wounded three peacekeepers, two of them seriously, in the third such incident in a week.
-
Israeli fire killed a man in Syria’s Quneitra province in the south near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, Syrian state media said. The man was killed in an attack by “an Israeli tank”, the Sana agency said, while state TV said a car was targeted.
-
An Egyptian national was killed and four others wounded after a fire at a gas complex in Abu Dhabi, caused by falling debris from an intercepted attack, the government media office said. Two of the four people hurt were from Egypt, while the others were from Pakistan, it said.
-
Trump asked lawmakers to approve a $1.5tn defence budget for 2027 as the US faces rising costs from its war with Iran and mounting global security commitments. The proposal would lift Pentagon spending by more than 40% in a single year – the sharpest increase since the second world war.
-
The US embassy in Lebanon said Iran and allied groups could seek to target universities in the country, where Tehran-backed Hezbollah is at war with Israel and Israeli troops are carrying out a ground invasion.
-
Three tankers, including one co-owned by a Japanese company, crossed the strait of Hormuz by hugging close to Oman’s shore – a rare transit route – maritime traffic data showed on Friday.
With agencies
Power firm SSEN predicts wind gusts could reach about 80mph in parts of the country over the Easter weekend.
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Key events
Five wickets for Pennington!
The first five-fer of the season! Pennington polished off the Somerset tail, just short of a third batting point. Somerset 347 all out. Can Overton, who bashed 60 not out with the bat, now do it with the ball too? Notts 0-0
Fifty for Jake Weatherald
A really impressive debut Championship innings from Jake Weatherald in overcast conditions and on a quite juicy pitch. Chilly too. His nut brown arms tell the tale of a summer spent playing cricket in very different conditions. Fifty from 65 balls, seven fours. Leicestershire 88 for two.
A good start for Warwicks
At Edgbaston, Surrey were finally dismissed for 328 – a fabulous recovery from 65 for six. Three wickets for Bamber, two each for Woakes, Thompson, Gilchrist and Barnard.
Warwickshire have gritted their teeth after the disappointment and made a good start to their innings. Yates and Davies have faced 50 balls a piece, one has 13, the other 40 – I’ll let you guess which is which. Warwicks 66 for 0.
A hundred for Matt Critchley!
A thirteenth first-class century for Critchley, but he’s lost Allison for 80, at last a result for the short stuff from Hants. Essex 259 for four.
Fifties for Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram
From the depths of 28 for four last night, Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram have rebuilt Glamorgan. Kellaway, another Lion predicted to have a bright future, reached his half-century first before being bowled by a gorgeous ball from Dom Bess. Glamorgan 137 for five, Ingram 59 not out.
Again apologies that things are slow this morning, the wifi keeps dropping in and out and the hotspot on my phone is also being disobedient. Here, quickly, before it drops again, Ollie Robinson has sent nightwatchman Scriven on his way, before taking himself off. Weatherald and Holland drop anchor.
With an hour gone, let’s trot round the grounds.
“Salutations Tanya!” Good morning Tim Maitland.
“I am torn between two burning issues.
”Firstly, why does the UK insist on giving storms such ridiculously benign names? Storm Dave is more likely to give people the impression that there’s time for a nice cup of tea and some custard creams rather than the desired effect of battening down the metaphorical hatches. What’s wrong with using the names of historical villains? Storm Genghis? Storm Atilla? Storm Thatcher? At the very least give them French names and strike fear into the heart of the general population.
”The second thought is would the England batting line-up be better with a player like Ben Foakes in it? I’m not specifically banging the drum for Foakes, just for the England management to resists the urge to fill their side with yet more peroxide-tipped, high testosterone pyjama cricketers fashioned in their own likeness and instead add a player late in the order capable of having a steadying influence – much in the way that Joe Root calms the top of the order when he inevitably comes in to bat 20 minutes into the innings – and occasionally buy time for the last survivor of the specialist batters or Ben Stokes himself to build their own innings. Someone who can do more than provide another cameo of carnage before handing the initiative back to the bowling side.
“I only mention this as two days of yellow storm warnings and a forecast of snow in the Scottish Highlands should presumably give us all a surfeit of time to consider such things.”
Sadly, I think Ben Foakes time has passed – which seems a ridiculous thing to say about such a talented player.
One for Lancashire fans
A little plug for Paul Edwards, sitting next to me here at Grace Road and supplying statistical nuggets for the blog on a daily basis. He and Graham Hardcastle have set up a new website lankylanky.com, which will cover all aspects of Lancs cricket, including in-depth features, profiles, historical pieces, batting collapses etc. It will be wide-ranging, looking at men’s, women’s and disability cricket as well as the recreational game.
There is a 20 per cent discount until the end of April, code: LANKY20.
Round the grounds, Somerset have a second batting point (Overton 38 not out); Martin Andersson has knocked up a career-best 150 for Derbyshire; Ben Sanderson has nipped out George Balderson for 21, Lancs 394-8.
Ollie Robinson’s first over brings a caught behind appeal against Scriven. Robinson is sure of it and most fed up when turned down.
A statistical goblet from yesterday: Yesterday was 8,231 days since Leicestershire last played first-division cricket. That day was 19 Sept 2003, playing Sussex at Hove, the same match that Sussex won the Championship.
Sorry everyone, a few wifi problems this morning. A blowy gray day at Grace Road but things will start on time.
Ali Martin’s report from Birmingham
Friday’s round-up
The spectre of the Ashes loomed over day one of a new Championship season, every innings, every wicket, a play in one act sent straight to the laptop of Brendon McCullum.
England Lion Emilio Gay won the race to the first century of the season for Durham, a classy innings, fierce on the loose ball, and in tricky conditions at Chester-le-Street. When he was finally out, a fourth catch of the day to Kent’s Zak Crawley, he had pocketed 128 from just 140 balls.
Crawley’s turn with the bat went about as well as Jamie Smith’s and Ollie Pope’s over at Edgbaston, two boundaries before falling lbw to Matthew Potts for nine.
At Grace Road Tom Clark embroidered a stylish 101, as Sussex gave promoted Leicestershire a bloody nose in the morning session, racing to 155 for two by lunch. Lion Tom Haines made a giddy half-century and James Coles, of mega-deal Hundred fame, a pretty 28. An England and Wales Cricket Board bowling scout, watching from the wings, then saw Ollie Robinson remove Rishi Patel in the four overs of Leicestershire’s innings possible before stumps
At Taunton, Somerset performed their usual rescue act, this time from 14 for two against the champions. Tom Abell stroked a flawless 108, and he and young James Rew (64) added 140 for the fourth wicket against Nottinghamshire. One of Rew’s drives lilted through covers like a lullaby. Craig Overton clubbed 32.
Rain wiped out much of the day at Sophia Gardens but Glamorgan, back in Division One for the first time since 2005, had a tricky start. They lost four wickets in six overs against Yorkshire including the fancied Asa Tribe, who donated Jonny Bairstow a pillowy catch. Ben Kellaway and Colin Ingram rebuilt to 99 for four at stumps.
History was made at Southampton, where Noah Thain became the first full substitute in County Championship history under the ECB’s new experimental rule change. He replaced the Essex captain, Tom Westley, whose finger was fractured by a snorter from Hampshire’s Sonny Baker. Wobbling at 67 for three, and with Westley retired hurt, Matt Critchley (97no) and Charlie Allison (60no) rebuilt calmly. There was a minute’s silence at the start of the match in memory of Hampshire and England legend Robin Smith, who died during the winter.
There was also a minute’s silence at Lord’s, to remember long-serving groundsman Mick Hunt. On a stodgy day, Leus du Plooy’s 98 not out helped Middlesex to 279 for five against Gloucestershire.
It was a tough day for Worcestershire’s bowlers at Derbyshire, where Martin Andersson shimmied a rapid unbeaten 134. Worcestershire are without South African signing Beyers Swanepoel, whose desperation to get to New Road was such that he left for the airport with seven overs of a domestic one-day final to go and then found that a furious South African had withheld his no-objection certificate. “Beyers would probably say he’s made a bit of an error in hindsight,” said the Worcestershire chief executive, Ashley Giles.
Lancashire were the only side who won the toss and batted and could be happy enough with their work against Northamptonshire thanks to 90 from Josh Bohannon, 87 from Luke Wells and 71 from Michael Jones.
Scores on the doors
DIVISION ONE
Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan 99-4 v Yorkshire
Southampton: Hampshire v Essex 219-3
Grace Road: Leicestershire 15-1 v Sussex 361
Taunton: Somerset 292-6 v Nottinghamshire
Edgbaston: Warwickshire v Surrey 328
DIVISION TWO
The County Ground: Derbyshire 391-4 v Worcestershire
Chester le Street: Durham 335 v Kent 50-2
Lord’s: Middlesex 279-5 v Gloucestershire
Wantage Road: Northamptonshire v Lancashire 346-7
Preamble
Good morning! In Leicester, the sparrows are chirping as the city stretches into Easter Saturday.
At Grace Road, Sussex, giddy from for their success on day one, will press further. I worry a little what havoc Ollie Robinson might unleash on Leicestershire’s batting line up. Anyway, it all starts at 11am – do join us for news around the grounds.
NASWUT’s leader said there is a “ticking time bomb” if male pupils cannot be helped with misogyny.
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