Trump briefed on downed F-15E fighter jet in Iran, search and rescue efforts underway

Bahrain's Defense Ministry said Saturday it has intercepted 453 drones and 188 missiles from "sinful Iranian terrorist aggressions" since the U.S.-Israel war against Iran began in February.

The U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet is stationed in Bahrain.

"The General Command of the Bahrain Defense Force announces that the air defense systems of the Bahrain Defense Force, by the grace of God, followed by the unwavering vigilance of its men, continue to confront successive waves of the sinful Iranian terrorist aggressions targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain," the country's defense force wrote on X on Saturday.

A fence near the nuclear power plant in Bushehr was struck in an airstrike Saturday morning, killing one guard and damaging an auxiliary building, according to The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.

In a social media post, the organization said this attack marks the fourth on the power plant since the war against Iran began in February. The power plant's main areas have not been damaged, it said.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant supplies about 1,000 megawatts of power across Iran, using low-enriched uranium from Russia and Russian technicians, The Associated Press reported.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) posted to its official X account early Saturday morning that they have carried out airstrikes across Tehran targeting key Iranian military infrastructure. The operation, reportedly directed by Israeli intelligence, focused on air defense systems, including a Revolutionary Guard site storing anti-aircraft missiles.

In the statement, the IDF said it had “completed yesterday a wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime across Tehran.”

Additional targets included facilities tied to weapons research and development, as well as a site used for storing ballistic missiles.

The IDF claims the strikes are part of ongoing efforts to weaken Iran’s military capabilities. There has been no independent confirmation of the reported damage, and Iranian officials have not yet responded.

Officials in Dubai reported that falling debris from intercepted drones caused minor damage to the outer walls of two buildings. One of which is said to be connected to U.S.-based Oracle, according to reports from The Associated Press.

Following the incident, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned it could target Oracle and 17 other American companies, alleging they are involved in espionage activities—an accusation that has not been independently confirmed.

No injuries have been reported.

Separately, previous drone strikes attributed to Iran caused damage to three Amazon Web Services facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

China is reportedly ramping up its diplomacy around the Iran conflict, rolling out a joint proposal with Pakistan and seeking to rally Gulf nations behind its approach.

Beijing has also pushed back on a United Nations effort that could authorize force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Associated Press.

“The war with Iran is the priority of all countries in and outside the region,” Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, told The Associated Press. “It is an opportunity China will not miss to demonstrate its leadership and diplomatic initiative.”

A hardline Iranian lawmaker is reportedly calling for the arrest of former President Hassan Rouhani and his former foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, after both men publicly pushed for an end to the ongoing conflict.

Hamid Rasaei urged Iran’s judiciary to take immediate action, calling for what he described as a “judicial shot” to detain the two officials. His remarks followed recent statements from Rouhani and Zarif advocating for de-escalation, according to news outlet Iran International.

Zarif, meanwhile, argued that any agreement must extend beyond a temporary ceasefire and address the underlying causes of the conflict, the outlet reported.

A Jewish security organization is stepping up efforts to protect communities in New York City, launching mobile patrols aimed at identifying potential threats as antisemitic incidents continue to rise.

The initiative, led by the nonprofit Community Security Service (CSS), deploys trained volunteers in vehicles across neighborhoods with large Jewish populations, according to The Times of Israel.

The patrols are part of a broader push to enhance safety around synagogues and at community institutions.

The program launched earlier this year in parts of Manhattan and the Bronx and is expected to expand to other cities, the outlet reported.

U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., issued a statement Friday after reports that an F-15E fighter jet went down over Iran.

“As someone shot down behind enemy lines, my heart goes out to the crew members and their loved ones who are waiting for answers," Duckworth wrote on X. "It's a relief one servicemember has been found and rescued, and I'm grateful for those risking their lives to look for the one who remains missing."

Duckworth, a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot with the Illinois Army National Guard, deployed to Iraq in 2004, according to her official Senate biography.

That November, her aircraft was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), leaving her without both legs and with limited mobility in her right arm.

Controlling the skies above a combat zone never means zero risk, experts says, as critics point to the loss of the lone U.S. aircraft that was downed over Iran on Friday, resulting in one service member missing.

The downing of a Air Force F-15E fighter jet has prompted questions about the Trump administration's claims of air superiority over Iran's skies.

"By historical standards, one fighter loss, after four weeks of combat, over highly defended territory is amazingly low,"  Ret. Lt. Gen. David Deptula  said Friday on "The Will Cain Show."

"It means the ability to operate where and when use choose without prohibitive interference," he added.

Deptula noted that coalition forces in Operation Desert Storm lost nearly one aircraft per day over 43 days of combat.

Iran and its proxy terrorist militias have issued targeted threats against universities in Lebanon, and the State Department has warned Americans to get out now while commercial flights are still available, U.S. officials said.

Officials said Iran has "specifically threatened" American universities across the Middle East.

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut described the security situation in Lebanon as "volatile and unpredictable."

"Airstrikes, drones and rocket attacks occur throughout the country, especially in the south, the Beqaa, and parts of Beirut," officials wrote in a security alert.

The U.S. Embassy in Beirut added that it strongly encourages U.S. citizens in southern Lebanon, near the border with Syria, in refugee settlements and in the southern suburbs of Beirut — including Dahiyeh — to depart those areas immediately.

"We recommend that U.S. citizens in Lebanon who choose not to leave prepare contingency plans for emergency situations and be prepared to shelter in place should the situation deteriorate further," according to the State Department.

This post is an excerpt from an article by Alexandra Koch.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday, as the two leaders addressed escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf and voiced support for a ceasefire “as soon as possible.”

According to an announcement from the Kremlin's office, both warned that “heavy hostilities” are causing “severe consequences” for energy, trade and logistics.

“The leaders noted that they shared the stance in [favor] of achieving a ceasefire as soon as possible and working towards compromise peace agreements that would take into account the legitimate interests of all the regional states,” the announcement noted.

Putin and Erdogan also discussed the war in Ukraine and ways to expand economic cooperation, including joint energy projects, the Kremlin said. 

Iran is ramping up the recruitment of children as young as the age of 12 into military-linked roles tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according to new reports by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.

Human Rights Watch said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched a campaign called "Homeland Defending Combatants for Iran," lowering the minimum recruitment age to 12 and encouraging minors to sign up in mosques and through Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

The roles go beyond support tasks and include "operational patrols," staffing checkpoints and intelligence activities, putting children directly in harm’s way as fighting intensifies across the country.

Amnesty International said the recruitment and deployment of children under 15 "constitutes a war crime," and backed its findings with verified visual evidence and eyewitness accounts.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital's Efrat Lachter.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is facing backlash after signaling a willingness to end the war, exposing deep divisions within Iran’s political and military establishment, according to media reports.

In a Tuesday phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa, Pezeshkian said Iran is willing to help bring the conflict with the United States and Israel to an end, but that “essential conditions, especially guarantees to prevent renewed aggression, are met," London-based Iran International reported.

Pezeshkian's remarks were immediately criticized by Iranian officials.

“The position of the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding the defense of the nation against the aggression of evildoers and the conditions for ending the imposed war has not changed, and there is no regard for the delusions and lies of criminals," Mehdi Tabatabaei, the deputy for communications and information at the president’s office, responded on X.

In an open letter published on X, hardline activist Mohammad Shirakvand criticized Pezeshkian’s appeal for European guarantees:

“When you yourself state that the United States does not believe in diplomacy, what does speaking of guarantees for ending the war mean other than repeating a costly mistake?” he wrote. "This war is a battle of truth against falsehood and an arena of clashing wills. The government must play on this field, not on promises that have repeatedly proven unreliable."

Iran’s top officials are stepping out in Tehran, appearing in public alongside crowds in what analysts say is an effort to signal the regime remains firmly in control despite weeks of deadly strikes.

State television recently aired footage of President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi greeting members of the public, taking selfies and shaking hands with supporters in the capital, according to The Times of Israel.

Insiders and analysts say the appearances are deliberate — a show of resilience meant to convey that Iran’s leadership remains “unshaken” and firmly in charge, even as attacks continue to target senior officials, The Times of Israel reported.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not made a public appearance since taking power on March 8, according to the outlet.

President Donald Trump refused to discuss the potential U.S. response if a missing U.S. pilot is harmed in Iran.

Trump told The Independent that he couldn't comment on the course of action he would take if Iranian forces capture the downed service member.

“We hope that’s not going to happen,” Trump said.

U.S. forces were searching for a second service member after the rescue of the pilot of the downed F-15E fighter jet.

Lebanon’s state media is reporting that Israel destroyed a bridge in the country’s east, after the Israeli military warned it would target two crossings in the area.

According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, Israeli warplanes struck a bridge linking the towns of Sohmor and Mashghara, “leading to its destruction,” Agence France-Presse reported via The Times Of Israel.

“Israeli warplanes targeted the bridge that links Sohmor with Mashghara," the National News Agency said.

Earlier, Israel’s military said it planned to target bridges in the area to prevent the movement of “reinforcements and military equipment” to Hezbollah.

U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., on Friday criticized Polymarket, the online prediction platform, over wagers on the rescue of a downed U.S. service members in Iran.

"There is an ongoing search and rescue operation for a missing American service member whose plane was shot down over Iran. Their safety is unknown," Moulton wrote on X.

"They could be your neighbor, a friend, a family member. And people are betting on whether or not they'll be saved," he added. "This is DISGUSTING."

Moulton noted that President Donald Trump is an investor in "this dystopian death market and may have access to intelligence that isn't public yet."

In response to Moulton's post, Polymarket said it has taken down the "market," saying it didn't meet the company's integrity standards.

"It should not have been posted, and we are investigating how this slipped through our internal safeguards," the company said.

While the exact location of the downed jet remains unclear, Iran’s state media has pointed to two provinces — Khuzestan and Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad, according to BBC News.

Terrain across those regions differs significantly. Khuzestan is largely flat, while Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad lies within the Zagros Mountains, characterized by steep ridgelines and limited flat ground.

If the aircraft is located in more mountainous areas, recovery efforts could be complicated by difficult access and uneven terrain. Higher elevations in the Zagros can also experience colder conditions — and even snow and ice — which may further affect operations.

President Donald Trump has also previously claimed that Iran’s air force has been “wiped out entirely,” though the extent of the country’s remaining capabilities remains unclear — raising further questions about how quickly Iranian forces could respond in difficult terrain. 

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled prince of Iran, called for the expulsion of Iraqi militia members from Iran.

“The terrorists of the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi), carrying Iraqi flags, have taken up positions in the streets and squares of Iran,” Pahlavi said in a post on X.

"They parade around, sowing fear and threatening massacres, while chanting their propaganda in the face of our people," he added. “They have no place in Iran. They must be expelled immediately from the pure soil of Iran."

Pahlavi questioned the Iranian military for allowing the influence of Iraqi militias in his country.

"Where is the Iranian Army? Where are the veterans of the eight-year war with Iraq?" he asked. "Where has Iranian military honor gone, that Iraqi terrorists now lord over the lives, property, and honor of Iranians from Khuzestan to Tehran?"