Second US fighter jet downed by Strait of Hormuz as search for F-15E crew member in Iran continues

A downed U.S. airman behind enemy lines would take comfort in knowing the military is deploying every available resource to bring them home, a former Army pilot said.

Amber Smith, a former deputy assistant to the secretary of defense, said elite combat search and rescue teams are trained for exactly this kind of high-risk mission.

“You know that the might of the U.S. military is behind you and is going to come get you,” Smith said on “The Big Weekend Show.” “They will move heaven and earth to find you.”

Smith said both pilots and rescue teams undergo intense survival, evasion, resistance and escape training designed to help them operate in hostile territory and avoid capture.

She noted that separation between crew members after ejection is common due to timing delays and wind conditions, which can carry them to different locations on the ground.

Smith also cautioned that even with U.S. air superiority, threats remain.

“A threat in a war environment is always going to exist,” she said, adding that Iran only needs limited success to create dangerous situations.

The comments come as the search continues for a missing weapons systems officer after an F-15E was shot down over Iran.

Exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi pitched the economic promise of a post-regime Iran during remarks to American business leaders in Texas, calling for a decisive end to the current government in Tehran.

In video shared to X, Pahlavi told the Dallas Economic Club that a “free Iran” could become a major economic partner to the United States and the West.

“I am here to lead that transition — not to rule, but to serve as the bridge to a secular, democratic future,” he said.

Pahlavi argued that Iran represents an “untapped market” and said a stable transition plan is already in place, emphasizing the role of the Iranian diaspora in rebuilding ties with America.

He also urged a more aggressive approach toward the current regime, warning against leaving it in place.

“All of this is hinging upon getting the job done,” he said. “Not wound it — just kill it, get it over with.”

The remarks come as debate grows over what a post-regime future could look like in Iran.

Former U.S. Amb. to NATO Kurt Volker warned the United States and its allies must "stop the sniping" and come together to end the conflict with Iran during a Saturday interview on Fox News.

Volker appeared on "Fox News Live" to discuss the Trump administration’s comments about reevaluating its relationship with NATO.

"I think this is completely wrong," Volker told Fox News anchor Aishah Hasnie of the friction with NATO.

"We did not inform allies. We did not consult with allies. We did not set up a clear goal, a common operation. We didn't ask them. So, this went off the rails from the very beginning."

Operation Epic Fury has strained some relationships between the United States and its allies. Spain and other allies have denied the use of jointly operated bases for these operations.

The United Kingdom also granted limited use of its bases for strict defensive purposes.Volker argued that both sides need to pause before making any major decisions.

"We both need to take a breath, realize that NATO has a very important purpose, which is peace in Europe," Volker said.

"We need to stop the rhetoric, talk to each other and come up with a way forward on actually opening up the Persian Gulf and ending the war with Iran and restoring security in Europe," he added.

President Donald Trump has signaled the White House might be rethinking its relationship with some European allies in the wake of the conflict.

He spoke to The Telegraph in an article published Wednesday, saying, "Oh yes, I would say [it’s] beyond reconsideration. I was never swayed by NATO. I always knew they were a paper tiger, and Putin knows that too, by the way."

Trump is expected to meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte next week for a planned visit. Volker said he believes he and Trump will have a better discussion about U.S. goals in Iran.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Madison Colombo.

A missing U.S. weapons systems officer (WSO) downed over Iran would have received extensive survival training aimed at evading capture and aiding rescue teams, a former CENTCOM official said.

Retired Col. Joe Buccino said the airman would be trained to quickly move away from populated areas and seek terrain that offers concealment and communication advantages.

“That officer has gone through intensive training to get to a secure location that’s away from the population,” Buccino said on 'Fox Report' Saturday. “They know how to do this.”

Buccino said the goal is to reach high ground or an isolated area where the service member can establish contact with U.S. forces and guide search-and-rescue teams.

His comments come as the search continues for the missing crew member after an F-15E was shot down over Iran. The pilot was rescued, but the weapons systems officer remains unaccounted for.

Iranian officials have reportedly urged civilians to locate and turn in the missing airman, raising concerns about the risk of capture.

Buccino cautioned that while U.S. rescue teams are highly trained, there are still significant unknowns, including the service member’s condition.

“There’s a lot of unknowns here,” he said. “We just hope and pray that we can get that service member back.”

The U.S. military has been preparing for a potential conflict in the Strait of Hormuz for decades, according to a national security expert.

Fox News contributor Kiron Skinner said the Pentagon anticipated the strategic challenge posed by Iran’s geography and capabilities in the region.

“The U.S. military has been preparing for this for decades,” Skinner said on 'Fox Report' Saturday, pointing to long-standing war games and planning across the national security apparatus.

But she warned that reopening the vital shipping lane is far from simple, describing it as a “complicated” and “dangerous” mission.

Skinner said Iran retains key advantages, including terrain along the Persian Gulf and the ability to deploy missiles, small attack boats and proxy forces to threaten ships.

She also called on European allies to play a larger role, arguing the U.S. and Israel are carrying much of the burden in the conflict.

The comments come as President Donald Trump has issued a deadline for Iran to reopen the strait, warning that “time is running out.”

The Israeli military released new video showing troops moving through and securing a building as part of its expanding operations tied to strikes on Iran and its proxies.

Video posted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on X shows armed soldiers advancing up a staircase and clearing the structure, offering a rare on-the-ground look at operations alongside ongoing airstrikes.

The video comes as the IDF says it completed “extensive waves of attacks” hitting more than 200 targets across Iran and Lebanon, including sites tied to the Iranian regime and Hezbollah. 

Israeli officials say the strikes are part of a broader campaign targeting weapons infrastructure, missile production and militant positions across the region.

President Donald Trump said the downing of a U.S. fighter jet over Iran will not impact ongoing negotiations, as the search continues for a missing American airman.

The F-15E was shot down Friday over Iranian territory, with the pilot rescued after ejecting safely. The aircraft’s weapons systems officer remains missing.

“This is the first time since 2003 that an American warplane has been shot down over enemy territory,” Fox News correspondent Alex Hogan reported on 'Fox News Live.'

The search-and-rescue operation remains ongoing as U.S. forces work to locate the missing service member, with Iranian officials also reportedly calling on civilians to find and turn in the airman.

Trump, who has issued a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, warned that “time is running out” as tensions continue to escalate.

Operation Epic Fury is now entering its sixth week, with U.S. and allied forces engaged in sustained operations across the region.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel struck key Iranian petrochemical facilities, calling them part of the regime’s financial and military backbone.

“I promised you that we would continue to crush the terrorist regime in Tehran, and that is exactly what we are doing,” Netanyahu said in a video posted to X.

He said the strikes targeted what he described as Iran’s “money machine,” following earlier attacks on steel production tied to weapons manufacturing.

Separately, the Israel Defense Forces said it struck infrastructure at a petrochemical complex in Mahshahr in southwestern Iran, which it said produces materials used in explosives and ballistic missiles.

The IDF said the site is one of the central facilities for producing components essential to Iran’s weapons programs and that the strikes would disrupt the regime’s ability to manufacture arms.

The latest strikes mark a continued expansion of Israel’s campaign targeting Iran’s military-industrial infrastructure as the conflict intensifies.

The anti-American niece of slain Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani was granted a green card under the Biden administration after obtaining asylum in the United States, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News.

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, who authorities say was enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, entered the United States in June 2015 on a tourist visa and was granted asylum in 2019 before becoming a lawful permanent resident in 2021, according to DHS.

She was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles on April 3 along with her daughter.

Officials said Afshar later disclosed in a naturalization application that she had traveled to Iran multiple times after receiving her green card, raising questions about the validity of her asylum claim.

Her daughter, Sarinasadat Hosseiny, also entered the United States in 2015 on a student visa, was granted asylum in 2019 and became a lawful permanent resident in 2023, the agency said. ICE said both are now in custody pending removal from the United States.

The arrests come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he revoked the legal status of Afshar and her daughter, accusing them of supporting the Iranian regime and celebrating attacks on Americans.

“It is a privilege to be granted a green card to live in the United States of America. If we have reason to believe a green card holder poses a threat to the U.S., the green card will be revoked,” a DHS spokesperson told Fox News.

Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.

An Iranian opposition group said Saturday that two alleged dissidents were executed by Iranian authorities, as tensions escalate between Tehran, Israel and the United States.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) identified the men as Vahid Bani-Amerian, 34, and Abolhassan Montazer, 67, saying they were hanged at Ghezel Hesar Prison on the outskirts of Tehran.

The report, based on opposition sources, comes as Iran faces heightened international pressure and internal unrest, with activists warning of an increased use of executions to crack down on dissent.

The group said both men were affiliated with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI), which Tehran designates as a terrorist organization.

According to the NCRI, the pair had been accused by Iranian authorities of plotting attacks and possessing weapons.

Iran’s judiciary has said the men were charged with membership in the group and involvement in operations aimed at undermining state security, according to statements cited by the opposition group.

The reported executions come amid what the NCRI describes as a recent wave that has seen at least 10 political prisoners put to death in less than three weeks.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich condemned the reported executions, calling them a reminder “of the brutality of the Iranian dictatorship.”

“The dictatorship today executed two more members of the MEK. Since Monday, six members of the MEK and an 18-year-old protester were executed, all charged with their resistance against the dictatorship,” Gingrich wrote on X.

“We are doing our best to get more attention to these executions. Many more are on death row.”

The Iran Human Rights Society said this week there have been 657 executions in the first three months of the year.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Saturday he supports President Donald Trump’s 48-hour ultimatum for Iran to reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face military consequences.

Graham said he spoke with Trump and is "completely convinced that he will use overwhelming military force against the regime if they continue to impede the Strait of Hormuz and refuse a diplomatic solution to achieve our military objectives."

"If it’s not clear to Iran and others by now that President Trump means what he says then I don’t know when it will ever be," the GOP senator wrote on X. "Choose wisely."

“I totally support his ultimatum to the Iranian regime to open up the Strait of Hormuz and to do a peace deal,” Graham added on X. “A massive military operation awaits Iran if they choose poorly."

Graham said the Iranian regime has been “severely crippled” by Operation Epic Fury and warned its "reign of terror against the region and the world needs to come to an end, hopefully through a peace deal."

Graham’s comments come after Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that he had given the Iranian regime 10 days to reach a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz.

"Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign [sic] down on them. Glory be to GOD!" Trump wrote.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Saturday that the niece of slain Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani and her daughter were now in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.

"Until recently, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were green card holders living lavishly in the United States," Rubio wrote on X.

"Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani. She is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the 'Great Satan,'" he said.

Rubio said he terminated both Afshar and her daughter's legal status this week "and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States."

"The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes," Rubio added.

While living in the United States, Afshar "promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the 'Great Satan,' and voiced her unflinching support for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organization," the State Department added.

"Afshar Soleimani pushed this propaganda for Iran’s terrorist regime while enjoying a lavish lifestyle in Los Angeles, as attested to by her frequent posting on her recently deleted Instagram account."

The department said Afshar’s husband has also been barred from entering the United States.

Earlier this month, Rubio terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of former Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Larijani, and her husband Seyed Kalantar Motamedi. The State Department said Ardeshir-Larijani and Motamedi are no longer in the U.S. and are prohibited from future entry.

The Israeli Air Force dismantled a truck used as a mobile ballistic missile launcher in Tabriz, Iran, the Israel Defense Forces said Friday, releasing video of the strike.

The strike dismantled the launcher and disrupted plans to fire missiles toward Israel from western Iran, the IDF said.

Dramatic video released by the IDF shows a fireball erupting from the truck, with smoke billowing into the air.

Iran has launched hundreds of missiles at Israel since Feb. 28, according to Israeli officials, as the conflict enters its sixth week.

President Donald Trump touted his tariff policy Saturday in championing the latest job numbers, saying a historic trade deficit drop comes while the U.S. at the same time is "getting rid of a Nuclear Iran."

"Not only were the jobs numbers GREAT yesterday, 178,000 new jobs, but the TRADE DEFICIT was down 55%, the biggest drop in history. THANK YOU MR. TARIFF! All of this and, simultaneously, getting rid of a Nuclear Iran. MAGA!!!" Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday.

The Labor Department reported Friday that the U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March, well above the 60,000 gain expected by economists polled by LSEG, while the unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%.

The report showed stronger hiring across several sectors, including healthcare, construction and transportation, while government payrolls declined. Revisions to prior months’ data showed mixed results, with January job gains revised higher and February losses deeper than previously reported.

Fox Business' Eric Revell contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Iran that “time is running out” if it wants to reach a deal with the United States.

“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!" he added.

Trump has demanded Iran fully abandon its nuclear weapons capabilities — including halting enrichment — while also curbing its missile program and regional activity in exchange for potential sanctions relief.

Saturday's post comes as search and rescue operations are still underway for a missing F-15E crew member who was downed over Iran on Friday. Trump did not address the F-15E incident in his post.

Five European Union countries are pushing for a tax on energy company windfalls as the Iran war enters a sixth week and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to strain global energy markets.

The finance ministers from Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria called on the European Commission to introduce a windfall tax on energy companies they say are profiting from the consequences of the Iran war.

They argue a windfall tax — a levy on unexpected or unusually large profits driven by external events — could help fund relief for consumers facing rising costs.

“It would make it possible to finance temporary relief, especially for consumers, and curb rising inflation, without placing additional burdens on public budgets,” the ministers wrote in a letter to the EU Commission seen by Reuters.

"It ​would also send a clear message that those who profit from the consequences of the war must do their part to ​ease the burden on the general public."

The proposal comes as oil and gas prices have spiked since U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began in late February, triggering a price shock similar to Europe’s 2022 energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Europe’s heavy reliance on imported fuel leaves it exposed to the Middle East conflict’s impact on global energy markets, with gas prices rising more than 70% since the war began on Feb. 28, the outlet reported.

President Donald Trump requested $1.5 trillion from Congress for "national defense" in the 2027 fiscal year, a 42% increase from current levels. The White House released Trump's 2027 budget request on Friday as the Iran war continues.

The request calls on Congress to pass a $1.1 trillion military spending bill, along with an additional $350 billion through a separate budget process to fund key defense priorities.

The White House said the additional funding would go toward “critical Administration priorities,” including expanding access to munitions and strengthening the defense industrial base.

The budget blueprint also proposes $73 billion in cuts to domestic programs, part of a broader effort to redirect federal spending toward national security priorities.

The White House said the proposal focuses on key priorities including reinvigorating the nation’s military, reducing violent crime and strengthening national security, and protecting the homeland through immigration enforcement.

An A-10 Warthog aircraft reportedly “crashed” near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, though the exact location remains unclear, according to sources briefed on intelligence matters.

The pilot was safely recovered.

In a separate incident involving the downed F-15E fighter jet, the aircraft’s weapons systems officer remains missing. It is not immediately clear whether he was able to eject from the aircraft safely.

Two rescue helicopters deployed as part of a combat search-and-rescue mission to locate the missing crew member also came under enemy fire.

Both helicopters sustained damage, and some crew members were reportedly injured, but the aircraft were able to land safely.

Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.