War
U.S. special forces rescued the second crew member of the F-15 fighter jet that was shot down over Iran, three U.S. officials tell Axios.
The crew member, a weapons system officer, was wounded after ejecting from the aircraft on Friday but could still walk, and evaded capture in the mountains for more than a day, one of officials said.
The big picture: The shootdown was a nightmare scenario for the U.S. military, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also racing to locate the missing U.S. officer in southwest Iran. Both crew members were rescued in special forces operations inside Iran.
One official said Saturday's operation was conducted by a specialized commando unit with a high volume of air cover, that the U.S. forces unleashed a hail of heavy fire, and that all of the forces were now out of Iran.
Second crew member from F-15 downed in Iran rescued by U.S. forces
Israel plans 'Yellow Line' model in Lebanon by razing southern villages
The Israeli army is proposing to replicate its Gaza “Yellow Line” model in southern Lebanon by seizing territory and destroying entire villages.
In a briefing to Israeli media on Friday, military officials said disarming Hezbollah was not a realistic objective, and instead called for the creation of a “deep defensive line” inside Lebanese territory.
The plan would involve demolishing dozens of homes in frontline villages to establish a de facto demarcation line, similar to the one imposed in the Gaza Strip.
The “Yellow Line” in Gaza - a unilaterally drawn Israeli boundary - was initially intended as a temporary withdrawal line under a US-led ceasefire agreement signed in October. Later stages of the deal envisaged a full Israeli withdrawal and the disarmament of Hamas.
US military archbishop says Iran conflict does not meet ‘just war’ standard
The leader of all Catholic chaplains in the United States’ armed forces has questioned how righteous the US military’s campaign in Iran is, saying that “under the just war theory – it is not”.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Catholic Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, told CBS News in an interview set for broadcast Sunday that while Iran “was a threat with nuclear arms”, waging war on the theocratic state constituted “compensating for a threat before the threat is actually realized”.
The just war theory is a philosophical and legal framework, rooted in the theologies of Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, that is designed to help determine when starting war is morally justifiable – or jus ad bellum – and how it should be conducted, or jus in bello.
It directs that war is a last resort, undertaken only to correct serious wrong, and it requires legitimate authority, right intent, and proportionality in order to obtain peace.
GOP senator calls to end Iran operations without formal declaration of war
Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said Wednesday he will not support the U.S.-Israeli military offensive in Iran after the conflict reaches 60 days without congressional approval.
Curtis wrote in the Salt Lake City-based media outlet Deseret News that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 limits the president’s period of time to respond to “emerging threats.” He called the conflict with Iran nothing new, “a long-standing, well-organized and well-funded campaign against American lives and interests.”
“At the same time, here in America, constitutional limits are in place to temper the president from unilateral authority,” Curtis wrote. “I support the president’s actions taken in defense of American lives and interests. However, I will not support ongoing military action beyond a 60-day window without congressional approval.”
Curtis called the 60-day period a “fully sufficient window for presidents to take emergency measures in response to a national threat and then remit a decision to the duly elected representatives of the people as to whether a state of war should in fact be declared and continued.”
2 US helicopters hit during recovery efforts in Iran
Two U.S. military helicopters were hit by Iranian fire on Friday while engaging in a search-and-rescue mission for the crew of a downed fighter jet.
A U.S. Air Force UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and a second search-and-rescue helicopter were struck but were able to escape, a source familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity to share operational matters, told The Hill.
The aircraft were involved in recovery efforts for crew members ejected from an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down by Iranian forces, the first instance of an American plane being downed inside the country since the conflict began in late February.
One of the two crew members has been rescued by U.S. forces, according to a U.S. official. There is an ongoing search for the other service member.
Where did the US fighter jet crash in Iran? See how pilots are rescued
A second U.S. military aircraft went down in the Persian Gulf region and the lone pilot was rescued, multiple news outlets reported, including the New York Times and ABC News.
That aircraft was an A-10 attack jet, the outlets reported, citing U.S. military officials. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At least one crew member of the two-seater F-15 jet was able to eject after the craft was shot down by Iranian forces, according to multiple news reports. One of the crew was rescued inside Iran. The location and condition of the second crew member was not known.
Iran’s strike on central Israel targeted a drone factory
Aero Sol’s systems are used across Israel’s defense sector, making the plant a significant node in Israel’s military drone production network.
The company produces a family of four tactical drone platforms built for reconnaissance, intelligence, and surveillance missions, and also manufactures composite components for major Israeli defense programs including parts used in F-15 and F-16 fighter jet pilot helmets.
US-Israel strike hits 'century-old' Iranian medical research centre
More than 100 US-based international law experts have warned that the US-Israeli war on Iran raises “profound concern” over potential violations of international law.
In a letter published by the Just Security Forum, the signatories said the campaign may breach the UN Charter and raised concerns about possible violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including potential war crimes.
The letter pointed to growing civilian harm, environmental damage and wider regional risks.
It also criticised US officials’ focus on “lethality”, warning such rhetoric could undermine global norms protecting civilians.
Roughly Half Of Iran's Missile Launching And Drone Capabilities Are Still Intact: CNN
Roughly half of Iran’s missile launchers are still intact and thousands of one-way attack drones remain in Iran’s arsenal despite the daily pounding by US and Israeli strikes against military targets over the past five weeks, according to recent US intelligence assessments, three sources familiar with the intel told CNN.
“They are still very much poised to wreak absolute havoc throughout the entire region,” one of the sources said of Iran.
The US intelligence assessment total may include launchers that are currently inaccessible, such as those buried underground by strikes but not destroyed.
Thousands of Iranian drones still exist — roughly 50% of the country’s drone capabilities — two of the sources said the intelligence indicated. The intelligence, compiled in recent days, also showed a large percentage of Iran’s coastal defense cruise missiles were intact, the sources said, consistent with the US not focusing its air campaign on coastal military assets though they have been hitting ships. Those missiles serve as a key capability allowing Iran to threaten shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
The intelligence offers a more nuanced picture of Iran’s continuing capabilities compared to sweeping assessments of military victory offered publicly by President Donald Trump and administration officials.
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- Iranian president leaves door open to diplomacy in open letter to US
- Israeli invasion of Lebanon could be worse than 1982, warn European officials
- Iran's strike wounded over a dozen U.S. personnel and hit valuable jets in Saudi Arabia
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