Nightline: War with Iran

Martha Raddatz, ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent with deep experience in U.S. military reporting. She lays out the high-stakes presidential ultimatum on Iran. She narrates the daring search and complex 150-aircraft rescue to extract a downed F-15 pilot. Short, tense accounts of evasion, CIA tracking, and risky extractions keep the pace urgent.

A downed U.S. fighter jet and an urgent search-and-rescue push to recover the remaining pilot. How pilot evasion training and transponders guide high-stakes recoveries. White House briefings and presidential remarks about ongoing military actions. Regional strikes on Gulf neighbors and the reported toll on personnel and bases.

Coverage of a presidential primetime threat and its ripple effect on global oil and gas prices. Reports on strikes, closures in the Strait of Hormuz, and attacks on regional infrastructure. On-the-ground images from Jerusalem and a conversation about the war's roots, economic fallout, and public frustration.

Matt Rivers, ABC correspondent in Doha covering strikes across Iran and regional developments. Selena Wang, ABC senior White House correspondent in Washington analyzing the president's primetime address and military briefings. They discuss new U.S. strikes and target claims. They cover possible ground options around enriched uranium and oil hubs. They report on fallout including Strait of Hormuz and public opinion.

Jonathan Karl, ABC Chief Washington Correspondent who spoke with the White House about diplomatic and economic fallout. Desiree Adib, ABC editorial producer with deep Iran reporting, shares on-the-ground accounts. They discuss phone talks with Iranian figures, falling gas prices, calls for allies to secure Hormuz, everyday life under bombardment, communication workarounds, and mixed public sentiments inside Iran.

Jonathan Karl, Chief Washington correspondent for ABC News, conducts a hard-hitting interview and reporting segment. Conversation covers the U.S. troop buildup in the Middle East and damage to an E-3 radar jet with American injuries. Discussion also touches on presidential threats, U.S. strategic options, and an Iranian-American congresswoman’s call for de-escalation and a clear off-ramp.

Ian Pannell, ABC News chief foreign correspondent with deep conflict-zone experience, provides on-the-ground analysis. He breaks down rising troop casualties and traumatic brain injuries. He examines conflicting claims about peace talks and Iran’s negotiation power. He explains Iran’s use of the Strait of Hormuz and the wider economic fallout.

Ashan Singh, ABC field reporter who covers cultural community stories, shares how young Iranian Americans reclaim heritage through dance and No Ruz gatherings. Rachel Scott, ABC senior political correspondent at the White House, outlines escalating U.S. policy moves and ultimatum tensions. The conversation contrasts vibrant diasporic joy with urgent national security developments.

Britt Clinton, ABC correspondent on international energy and economics, and Rachel Scott, ABC senior political correspondent at the White House, unpack rising global energy alarms and U.S. troop movements. They discuss Iran rejecting a peace plan and insisting on control of the Strait of Hormuz. They also cover Asian conservation measures, the Philippines’ energy emergency, and economic risks if the strait stays closed.

Contradictory reports swirl about secret talks and a mysterious “present” tied to control of the Strait of Hormuz. Military movements and negotiations collide as leaders trade denials. Iranian women share stories of arrests, morality-police brutality, exile and resilience. Personal losses and decades of protest frame a portrait of repression and enduring hope.