{"text":[[{"start":12.64,"text":"Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to rain “hell” down on Iran if it refused to “make a deal or open up the Hormuz Strait” in the next 48 hours, as the US military continued its search for the missing crew member of a downed F-15 fighter jet. "}],[{"start":30.43,"text":"“Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them. Glory be to GOD!”"}],[{"start":46.97,"text":"Trump later published a video he claimed showed “a massive strike in Tehran” that had terminated “Many of Iran’s Military Leaders”, without providing details."}],[{"start":58.41,"text":"His statements came as his administration remained publicly silent on the status of the missing American service member, after their plane was shot down over Iran on Friday morning."}],[{"start":71,"text":"“There’s an incredible operation under way to try to find this person,” said a person familiar with the US military operations."}],[{"start":79.39,"text":"The US search and rescue effort over the rugged and desolate patch of south-western Iran, launched Friday, resulted in the rescue of the F-15 Eagle’s pilot, but not the plane’s second crew member, its weapon systems officer, people familiar with the operations said. "}],[{"start":97.83,"text":"“That area is blanketed with US aircraft,” one person said."}],[{"start":102.77,"text":"An A-10 Warthog attack aircraft, designed to provide air support to ground troops, was also shot down and the pilot was rescued, the person said. A-10s, which have been hitting Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz for weeks, are a standard part of the air force’s combat search and rescue operations."}],[{"start":122.75,"text":"The White House and Pentagon on Saturday declined to say whether the administration believes the missing F-15 officer to be dead or alive, or whether they had been captured by Iran."}],[{"start":137.33,"text":"The F-15E’s crew could have ejected at slightly separate times, creating two landing spots, according to two people familiar with the military’s operations. The missing crew member could have been injured or killed during the ejection. It is also possible their location beacon could be broken, or that they are not able to turn it on for fear of giving away their position. "}],[{"start":162.17000000000002,"text":"One person familiar with the operations said it is unlikely that the second crew member landed more than 10 miles from the pilot, and that both were equipped with emergency kits — including water and a portable filtration system — in addition to their beacons and substantial training. "}],[{"start":181.4,"text":"But, “In general, time is not on our side,” that person added. In addition to trying to reach the second crew member, the US military is “at the same time trying to keep the Iranians away . . . Any Iranian vehicle moving in the direction of where that pilot is, is going to be attacked,” the person said."}],[{"start":201.88,"text":"The F-15E, an elite tactical aircraft designed to help “gain and maintain air supremacy over the battlefield”, according to the US Air Force, was the first US fighter jet to be shot down in Iran since the start of the war five weeks ago. It marked a significant escalation in a conflict that has destabilised global economies and unleashed an energy crisis."}],[{"start":228.81,"text":"Search and rescue operations over hostile territory are inherently dangerous, exposing rescue personnel at lower altitudes and at ground level to potential attack by enemy forces, and with few options for escape if they are also shot down."}],[{"start":247.8,"text":"A US mission to rescue a group of downed helicopter airmen in Somalia in 1993 incurred more casualties than the initial operation and subsequent crashes. Eighteen US forces died in what became known as the Battle of Mogadishu — despite the presence of hundreds of US troops, including special forces, in the city at the time. The US has no such occupation force in Iran."}],[{"start":278.39,"text":"Iranian state media on Saturday urged citizens in the south-west of the country, where the aircraft went down, to arm themselves and scour the surrounding plains and mountains in anticipation of a confrontation with US forces. At least one US helicopter participating in the rescue operation sustained rifle fire that injured members of its crew, people familiar with the US operations said."}],[{"start":305.47999999999996,"text":"The downing of the F-15 E and the A-10 also exposed critical vulnerabilities for US forces, despite Trump’s claims that Iran’s Air Force and air defences have been “decimated”. "}],[{"start":318.28,"text":"The planes, which can fly at an altitude of up to 18,288 metres, according to the US military, have proven largely impervious to enemy fire in previous conflicts. "}],[{"start":332.11999999999995,"text":"Defence analysts say an advanced, long-range surface-to-air missile that can reach high altitudes would probably be required to take down an F-15."}],[{"start":342.90999999999997,"text":"The US lost three other F-15s last month after they were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences. The American crews from those planes ejected safely."}],[{"start":355.84,"text":"Iranian attacks continued against neighbouring Gulf states on Saturday. The United Arab Emirates’ defence ministry reported a total of 79 missile and drone attacks over the past 24 hours — a figure that exceeded all daily totals since March 8.*"}],[{"start":375.42999999999995,"text":"Debris from one of the aerial interceptions struck the facade of Oracle’s Middle East regional office in Dubai, the UAE’s media office said."}],[{"start":386.86999999999995,"text":"Iran has targeted other technology infrastructure in the region, including Amazon data centres in Bahrain and the UAE and an Oracle data centre in Dubai, in addition to attacks on critical gas and oil infrastructure across the region and US and Israeli assets."}],[{"start":405.75999999999993,"text":"The US and Israel have targeted Iran’s critical infrastructure, including a bridge and fuel depots, in addition to military targets."}],[{"start":416.2099999999999,"text":"The Israeli military on Saturday said it had bombed a major Iranian petrochemical plant, claiming that Iran’s armed forces used materials produced there to make weapons."}],[{"start":427.38999999999993,"text":"Following a similar strike against Iranian petrochemical facilities last month, Tehran retaliated by striking energy infrastructure in the Gulf, including inflicting severe damage on the world’s largest liquefied natural gas facility in Qatar."}],[{"start":445.38999999999993,"text":"Iran’s top commander warned on Saturday that if the US or Israel attacked Iran’s infrastructure, “the gates of Hell will be opened upon you”."}],[{"start":456.06999999999994,"text":"“In the event of an attack by the American-Zionist enemy, we will target without restriction all infrastructure used by the terrorist US military, as well as the infrastructure of the Zionist regime, with devastating and continuous strikes,” said Major General Ali Abdollahi of the armed forces’ main command center."}],[{"start":478.8499999999999,"text":"The Trump administration on Saturday announced that it had terminated the legal permanent residency of two relatives of an assassinated Iranian military commander because of their “anti-American” political views."}],[{"start":493.13999999999993,"text":"US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that he was targeting Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter because Afshar “is the niece” of Qassem Soleimani, the senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps commander whom Trump ordered to be killed in 2020, and she has been “an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime”."}],[{"start":516.6199999999999,"text":"Rubio earlier terminated the US legal status of the daughter of Ali Larijani, a former senior regime official, and deported her and her husband."}],[{"start":527.2999999999998,"text":"The Trump administration has previously detained and deported foreign students, researchers and others who have criticised US or Israeli policy in the Middle East."}],[{"start":538.4799999999998,"text":"Additional reporting by Simeon Kerr in Dubai, James Shotter in Jerusalem, Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran and David Sheppard and Alan Smith in London"}],[{"start":549.9699999999998,"text":"*An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the number of missile and drone attacks on the UAE."}],[{"start":567.2899999999997,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1775350451_3688.mp3"}