Trump Issues Deadline for Strait of Hormuz Opening, Threatens Strikes on Iranian Infrastructure Amid Ongoing War

The threats followed a U.S. rescue of two crew members from an F-15E Strike Eagle that crashed in Iranian territory on Friday. Trump described the first airman as seriously wounded and rescued from deep inside Iranian mountains, while the second was extracted in broad daylight hours after the crash.

Iran offered a reward for capturing the pilot and claimed to have shot down additional U.S. aircraft, including a transport plane and two helicopters during the rescue, airing video of wreckage and smoke on state television.

A U.S. regional intelligence official, speaking anonymously, stated that the military destroyed two transport planes due to technical malfunctions and deployed additional aircraft to complete the rescue. Iran's military joint command reported destroying four U.S. aircraft and warned of intensified retaliatory strikes on regional oil and civilian infrastructure if the U.S. or Israel targets similar sites in Iran.

The spokesman, quoted by IRNA, said responses would be more forceful against aggression on civilian facilities.

Iran also shot down a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft, with the crew's status and crash location unknown. This marks the first known U.S. aircraft crash in Iran since the war's start, initiated by U.S. and Israeli strikes. Trump posted a video of a missile attack, stating that many of Iran's military leaders were terminated in a massive strike in Tehran.

In retaliation, Iranian drones struck infrastructure in Gulf states. In Kuwait, attacks damaged power plants and a petrochemical plant, and disabled a water desalination station, with no injuries reported, according to the Ministry of Electricity. Bahrain reported a fire at a national oil company storage facility and a state-run petrochemical plant from a drone strike.

In the United Arab Emirates, intercepted debris from attacks caused fires at a petrochemical plant in Ruwais, halting operations.

The strikes occurred a day after Israel targeted a major Iranian petrochemical plant, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said funded the war. Petrochemical sectors in Gulf states generate billions in export revenue from oil and gas products like plastics and fertilizers.

Casualties include more than 1,900 deaths in Iran, over two dozen in Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, 19 in Israel, 13 U.S. service members, and more than 1,400 in Lebanon, where over 1 million people have been displaced and 10 Israeli soldiers killed.

Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure, including oil fields and desalination plants essential for drinking water, prompting warnings of potential war crimes. The war, now over five weeks old, has killed thousands and severed key shipping routes. Trump has previously extended similar deadlines amid mediation claims of progress.

Diplomatic initiatives persist. Oman's Foreign Ministry reported meetings between Iranian and Omani deputy foreign ministers and experts to discuss proposals for smooth transit through the strait. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty spoke by phone with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and counterparts from Turkey and Pakistan.

Pakistan conveyed support for de-escalation to Araghchi and plans to host U.S.-Iran talks soon.

A proposed compromise involves a cessation of hostilities for diplomatic settlement, according to a regional official and Gulf diplomat speaking anonymously. Iran's Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi threatened all U.S. military infrastructure in the region in response to Trump's warnings.

Escalation risks include renewed Houthi attacks on vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, affecting traffic to the Suez Canal.

Trump announced a 1 p.m. ET news conference with the U.S. military from the Oval Office on Monday, three hours after the deadline expires.