Al Jazeera News Updates Missing US service member rescued, Easter Sunday in Lebanon
Apr 5, 2026
A dramatic rescue mission after a fighter jet was downed and the intense multi-aircraft operation that freed the missing service member. Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz with warnings and retaliatory attacks across the Gulf. Damage to Kuwaiti infrastructure from drone strikes and civilian casualties from Israeli strikes in Lebanon. Evacuations and Christians observing Easter amid conflict and displacement.
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Daring Rescue Of Missing US Airman
- An American Air Force officer went missing after Iran downed a fighter jet and was later rescued.
- President Donald Trump described a two-day operation involving dozens of U.S. aircraft and a heavy firefight during the extraction.
Rescue Used As Diplomatic Pressure
- Trump used the rescue to escalate pressure on Iran, issuing a Monday deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
- He threatened bombing Iranian infrastructure and framed the rescue as leverage in broader Gulf tensions.
Gulf Attacks Persist Despite Rescue
- Attacks across the Gulf continued despite the rescue, with multiple drone strikes reported in Kuwait.
- Damage included a fire at Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and hits on power and desalination plants, though no casualties were reported.