Trump issues a new warning hours after a second US airman is rescued from inside Iran

[0:06] Hello, I'm Helena Humphrey and this is the Iran War Today, our 10-minute daily briefing with all [0:12] you need to know on day 37 of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Well, let's start now with some [0:18] of today's key developments. U.S. forces rescue the second airman missing for two days after being [0:26] shot down over Iran. New details of the mammoth operation involving hundreds of U.S. troops, [0:33] special forces, and the destruction of two American transport aircraft. [0:38] Donald Trump unleashes an expletive-laden post on social media calling the Iranians, [0:44] quote, crazy bastards and demanding Iran open the Strait of Hormuz, again threatening hell [0:50] if they don't. Iranian attacks escalate across the Gulf with strikes targeting critical [0:57] infrastructure including oil refineries in Bahrain and Kuwait. Tehran says the attacks [1:03] are in response to the attack on the Gulf of Hormuz. [1:04] Tehran says it's in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian industrial plants. [1:10] Israel launches fresh strikes on Beirut targeting what the IDF says is Hezbollah infrastructure. [1:17] Earlier, the Iran-backed group said it had used a cruise missile to target an Israeli warship [1:22] off the Lebanese coast. President Trump has escalated his threats vowing to target [1:30] Iranian civilian infrastructure if Iran fails to make a deal with the United States. [1:36] Writing on social media, the U.S. president said, quote, Tuesday will be power plant day [1:43] and bridge day all wrapped up into one in Iran. There will be nothing like it. Open the bleep, [1:50] that's where he used an expletive, straight, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell. [1:55] Just watch. Praise be to Allah. Well, let's begin now with our North America correspondent, [2:01] Simi Jalosho, who joins us from Washington. Simi, we have heard, [2:06] number of times from the president today, but more mixed messaging [2:11] about what actions the U.S. could take next. Yeah, mixed messaging indeed, especially when [2:18] you consider that the president's deadlines have shifted repeatedly. Within the last hour, [2:23] he's made a sort of cryptic post simply saying Tuesday 8 p.m. Eastern time. So there's speculation [2:30] as to whether that's a new deadline. To be honest, it's unclear exactly what's going on. You've got [2:38] who has said Iran is begging for a deal. He's now said that there's a good chance a deal is agreed [2:43] upon on Monday and that the two sides are deep in negotiations. But you've got Iran on the other [2:48] side saying they're not begging for a deal. They've previously said that talks are not going [2:54] on between the two sides and that if the U.S. were to launch strikes on its power plants, [3:00] it would retaliate by launching strikes on energy infrastructure within the Gulf region. I think two [3:08] things are important to note here. Number one is that in President Trump's recent Truth Social [3:12] post, he dialed up his rhetoric. You could sense his frustration. To some, the post might read [3:19] slightly uncomfortable because he uses a swear word. He calls the Iranian regime crazy bastards. [3:26] And he's been speaking to U.S. media this morning in which he said that he would consider blowing [3:32] everything up, he said, and taking Iran's oil if they don't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by [3:38] deadline. I think the second thing to note here is the reality on the ground. The last time the [3:44] White House said they were negotiating with Iran, they ended up striking Iran. And that's how we got [3:50] into this war in the first place. So I think it's important not to underestimate the possibility of [3:55] President Donald Trump making good on his threats, especially considering the reports that we've [4:01] had over the last few days of that buildup of U.S. military service personnel, paratroopers, [4:08] warships being sent to the Middle East. The White House says this is all about maintaining [4:14] military options for the president, even as he weighs peace talks with Iran. [4:20] Simi Jalosho there in Washington. Good to talk to you, Simi. Thank you. [4:26] President Donald Trump has praised the rescue of a second American airman missing in Iran for two [4:31] days as one of the most daring search and rescue operations in U.S. history. The highly complex [4:39] operation in Iran than previously thought reportedly involved members of the U.S. special [4:43] forces as well as a CIA deception campaign to throw off the Iranians. Mikey Kay, military analyst for [4:50] the BBC's security brief, explains how the Americans pulled it off. Quite remarkable footage [4:56] coming out overnight on open source intelligence channels and information associated with that [5:03] footage. This is all about the extraction by combat search and rescue and special forces of that second [5:10] airman that ejected from the F-15E strike hill that was initially based out of RAF Lakenheath that [5:16] was operating inside the region. Absolutely critical after 48 hours that the U.S. decided [5:22] they were going to throw a lot more additional capability at this outside of the extraction of [5:28] the first airman, which is called combat search and rescue. An HC-130J Hercules transport aircraft [5:34] and two HH-60 Jolly Green II Blackhawks. They're part of the original package, [5:40] but for this second airman, the weapon system operator who sits in the back of the F-15E, [5:45] it was absolutely critical for the U.S. to get this person back and not allow that person to fall in [5:50] the hands of the enemy, the Iranians. So what the Americans did was they put two HC-130 Hercules [5:57] aircraft deep inside of Iran near Isfahan. That name might be familiar because it's one of the [6:02] locations of one of Iran's nuclear facilities and they set up a forward operating base. That's about [6:10] 20 miles inside of Iran. Now, inside of one of those or both of those transport aircraft was [6:16] what's called an MH-6 helicopter. It's a light helicopter and it's the capability of choice for [6:21] U.S. special forces, namely Delta. The exfiltration happened, but then the problem was is that those [6:28] two HC-130J Hercules aircraft that were flown into the forward operating base, they then became [6:33] stuck, whether it was in sand or gravel, we don't know. So the Americans then launched three other [6:39] HC-130 Juliet. [6:40] Hercules aircraft to go in and instruct those special forces and those troops out. Once they'd [6:46] exfiltrated and got out the area, the Americans then decided to put bombs, precision bombs, [6:52] on all of that capability that was at the forward operating base. The reason for that is these [6:57] aircraft have very sensitive equipment capability on board. And the last thing that the U.S. would [7:03] have wanted was that capability and the helicopter capability getting into the hands of the Iranians. [7:08] So a remarkable operation, [7:10] by the U.S. over 48 hours to extract two of their airmen and preventing them from getting into the [7:16] hands of the Iranian forces, which would have been an absolute strategic failure for the Trump [7:21] administration. [7:22] Mikey Kay reporting there. Well, the Israeli military says that it's hit Hezbollah strongholds [7:28] in the southern suburbs of Beirut, reportedly killing four people. Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, [7:33] officials say that one strike killed at least seven people, including a four-year-old girl. It [7:39] comes as the Lebanese president, [7:41] who has addressed the country today, calling for talks between Israel and Lebanon to prevent [7:46] destruction on the scale of Gaza. Well, let's speak live now to our correspondent Daniel Disamone, [7:52] who is in Jerusalem tonight. The Lebanese president has been calling for talks to avoid [7:57] what he has said could be Gaza-scale destruction. How likely are potential talks with Israel? [8:05] Well, at the moment, they don't seem very likely. The Israeli political and military leadership, [8:14] however, are being very blunt about their goals in Lebanon. They are saying that they are going to [8:20] create a security zone in southern Lebanon up to the Latani River and that they're going to stay [8:25] there until Hezbollah has been removed as a threat. Tonight, the Israeli military's chief of [8:32] staff, Eyal Zamir, said that area has become a kill zone for Hezbollah fighters. The effect is [8:40] that hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from the area. [8:44] lately, political leadership, the defense minister, saying those people will not be [8:49] permitted to return until Hezbollah, the threat from Hezbollah has been removed. And villages [8:57] in southern Lebanon are being destroyed by the Israeli military. They say they're doing [9:02] that to remove the threat from Hezbollah. [9:06] In total, over one million people have been displaced in Lebanon, according to the Lebanese [9:11] authorities. And over 1,300 people have been killed, including at least 125 children, again, [9:19] according to the Lebanese authorities. [9:21] So as things stand, there seems to be very little prospect of some sort of deal. And [9:26] I think it's important to remember that Israel occupied parts of Lebanon between 1982 and [9:31] 2000. Hezbollah indeed came into existence in response to the Israeli invasion in 1982. [9:39] So this... [9:40] So what's happening now is, instead of a global war, what's happening now is, instead of a [9:41] global war, it's a global war. That's what's happening now. [9:41] So what's happening now is, instead of a global war, it's a global war. [9:41] So what's happening now is, instead of a global war, it's a global war. [9:41] some ways very much going back to what happened before. [9:45] And Daniel, what more can you tell us about strikes across the region today, including [9:48] those in southern Lebanon, in which a family was killed? [9:56] That's right. There was strikes in Beirut. In one strike, four people died, according [10:01] to Lebanese authorities. In the south, in a town in the south, seven people were killed, [10:07] according to the authorities. And it's been reported that that was a family, a family [10:11] that had been displaced from somewhere else in Lebanon, that they were waiting to be collected [10:17] by a relative, six family members, and that all of the family, all seven, died in an airstrike. [10:24] It had been... It had... Actually, the Israeli military prior, yesterday, had issued a displacement [10:31] warning for the village, for the town. [10:35] Daniel de Simone there, who is in Jerusalem. Daniel, thank you. [10:38] Now, one of the biggest consequences of the conflict for the Gulf... [10:44] And across the world has been the effective shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, [10:49] which lies between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is a vital corridor for a fifth [10:54] of the world's oil supplies. Its closure, a result of Iranian attacks on vessels, has [11:00] caused prices of oil and gas to surge globally. [11:03] Well, the BBC's senior international correspondent, Ola Guerin, traveled to the Gulf of Oman, [11:08] close to the entrance to the strait, and sent us this report. [11:13] This waterway is now... [11:14] A weapon in the hands of Tehran, perhaps the most powerful weapon they have. By leaving [11:22] ships stranded here, Iran is reducing the global supply of oil. It's creating shortages. [11:29] It's driving up prices. It's creating fear among consumers and pressure in the international [11:36] community. And Iran is hoping that all of that pressure will be applied to Donald Trump [11:42] to get him to end the war. [11:45] This is about as close as... [11:46] As we can get. There are restrictions imposed by the authorities here in Oman. And there [11:52] are also risks with trying to pass through this strait. Ships that are on that waterway [11:59] can come under attack from Iranian drones and missiles. There are concerns, too, about [12:06] mines in the water. And looking out at this exposed area of open sea, the idea of any [12:15] kind of force... [12:17] International or international coming to try to take control of the strait, well, you can [12:22] see how difficult, if not impossible, that would be. [12:26] Well, as U.S. threats mount and destruction inside Iran increases, reporting from our [12:33] colleagues at BBC Persian suggests that many Iranians are feeling the physical, as well [12:38] as emotional and economic impacts of this war now more than ever. And despite an Internet [12:43] blackout that has now lasted for 36 days, BBC Persian continues to hear from ordinary [12:49] Iranians... [12:50] Inside the country. Take a listen to some of the latest messages that we have received, [12:54] spoken by our colleagues from BBC Persian. [12:57] My sister was recently pregnant. She lost her baby after an attack. It must have been [13:02] because of the shock wave of the bomb. We have all become miserable. Everything on the [13:07] market is expensive. Paying back our bank debt, rent or insurance has become hard because [13:12] of the inflation. I swear to God, our salaries are not enough anymore. I feel I'm going crazy. [13:20] We're worried about Donald Trump. [13:21] I don't even know what to do. [13:23] Donald Trump is threatening to unleash all hell on Iran if Iran does not make a deal. [13:27] We're stocking up on water and essentials. [13:29] Here in Kermanshah, we used to hear the sound of jet fighters only every now and then and [13:36] mostly during the day. But recently, we also hear the loud air defense systems in the middle [13:41] of the night. [13:43] The Internet has become expensive. There are people on both Telegram and Rubika who sell [13:48] each gigabyte for nearly one million tomans. That's too expensive. We don't have time for [13:51] that. [13:51] I think it's all given to us. It's no use. It's all in the'man garb. I just want to keep [13:52] That's around $6 or $7, which is a lot for us. [13:56] Well, with me now is Behrang Tajin, the economics correspondent from the BBC Persian service. [14:02] Really good to have you with us this evening. [14:05] Let's just start by touching on those threats once again from President Trump [14:09] to blow up infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not unblocked. [14:15] When Iranians are hearing this, and it's not the first time, what are they making of it? [14:21] It will make life much more difficult for millions, maybe tens of millions of Iranians. [14:31] The strikes that have happened so far have had a massive impact on Iran. [14:36] I give you just in the past couple of days, we have had one huge petrochemical plant struck [14:44] in the city of Mahshar in southwestern Iran, and also two steel factories. [14:51] In near Isfahan and also in Khuzestan province. [14:56] And just three of them employ tens of thousands of people who have now lost their livelihoods. [15:03] And then you have upstream and downstream from that. [15:08] So from mines to, you know, Iran's huge car industry, the food industry. [15:14] It's not just for the military establishment. [15:18] It's also for, you know, factories. [15:22] Factories making appliances. [15:24] All of these will be impacted when there's no steel to make cans, or there's no steel to make cars, [15:31] or there's no plastic, which is what petrochemical plants make for, you know, for food products. [15:41] Or when fertilizers, which are also made by petrochemical plants, become scarce. [15:48] It has had a huge impact so far. [15:51] And if they, if Donald Trump decides to strike Iran's power plants, it will have a massive impact [16:02] with tens of millions of people effectively losing their source of income. [16:09] I mean, we talk so often about the price of a barrel of crude oil, for example, what the stock market is doing. [16:17] But as we heard there from those messages voiced up by your colleagues, [16:21] Iranians are already in a state of panic. [16:22] They're already feeling this economic impact every day when it comes to their purchasing power, [16:27] what they can buy, what they can put on the table. [16:29] Yeah, you need to have a, you need to have an income to have a purchasing power. [16:34] But even before the war starts, in the past year, the inflation in Iran has been almost 72 percent. [16:44] And when you look at foodstuff, their prices on average have gone up by 112 percent. [16:51] This is before the war. [16:53] And now it is being, that, that process of the prices going up is accelerating, [16:59] which means even those who have, for example, government jobs and, you know, are still paid, [17:05] they can see that they can't afford things that they could have afforded just a couple of months ago. [17:11] So it is bringing destitution to many people in Iran. [17:17] Behrang Tajin from the BBC Persian service. [17:20] Many thanks indeed. [17:21] Well, whether you like it or not. [17:23] You are joining us on YouTube, TikTok, Sounds, radio or TV. [17:27] Thanks for your time. [17:28] We'll be back at the same time tomorrow with the Iran war today.