US–Israel war on Iran, day 37: Trump and Iran trade threats as second F-15E pilot rescued in Iran by US special forces

US-Israeli strikes killed five fighters with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the country's northwest on Sunday, state media said.

"Following the brutal attacks of the American-Israeli enemy on the Moghan Plain... five IRGC fighters have attained martyrdom," said Iran's official IRNA news agency, citing a statement by the Guards in the northwestern Ardabil province.

Iran's internet blackout, first imposed well over a month ago, is now the longest nationwide shutdown on record, according to the monitor NetBlocks.

"Iran's internet blackout is now the longest nation-scale internet shutdown on record in any country, exceeding all other comparable incidents in severity having entered its 37th consecutive day after 864 hours," NetBlocks said in a tweet.

In another tweet, the monitor noted some countries had experienced intermittent or regional-level shutdowns over longer periods, while North Korea had never been connected to the global internet at all.

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Her Excellency Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of the Italian Republic, discussed the latest regional developments and their serious implications for security and stability, as well as their impact on maritime security, energy supplies, and the global economy.

The meeting took place during the Italian Prime Minister’s visit to the UAE.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated on Sunday a call for negotiations with Israel, saying he wanted to spare his country's south from destruction on the scale seen in Gaza.

"It is true that Israel might want to do in southern Lebanon what it did in Gaza," Aoun said in a televised address, after Israel launched airstrikes and a ground offensive against Hezbollah, destroying several southern Lebanese villages.

"Gaza was destroyed, over 70,000 people were killed, and they eventually sat down and negotiated, so why don't we negotiate... until we can at least save the homes that have not yet been destroyed?" he added.

Strikes killed five people overnight in Iran's southwest during the rescue of a missing US crewmember of a downed American fighter jet, Iranian media reported Sunday.

"Five people were martyred in last night's attack on the Kouh-e Siah area" in southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, the Tasnim news agency cited provincial official Iraj Kazemijou as saying.

He said the killings took place while the US was trying to find "the pilot or pilots" of the downed fighter jet.

Hezbollah on Sunday said it had targeted an Israeli warship with a cruise missile off the Lebanese coast, the first such claim by the group since the start of the Middle East war.

In a statement, the Iran-backed group said it targeted the vessel 68 nautical miles off the Lebanese coast, claiming the warship was "preparing to launch attacks on Lebanese territory".

Israeli warships have been used on several recent occasions to launch strikes on Lebanon.

Abu Dhabi authorities are responding to multiple fires at the Borouge Petrochemicals Factory after debris fell from a successful air defense interception.

Operations at the factory have been suspended while damage is assessed. No injuries have been reported. Authorities urged the public to follow official sources and avoid sharing unverified information.

The dramatic rescue of a US Air Force officer deep inside Iran — after his F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down — has spotlighted one of the most complex and high-risk military operations: Recovering a pilot behind enemy lines.

According to reports from The New York Times and Axios, US special operations forces carried out a massive, multi-layered mission to extract the injured weapons systems officer, who had evaded Iranian forces for more than 24 hours in mountainous terrain.

The operation unfolded as a high-stakes race between US rescue teams and Iranian forces searching for the downed airman — a scenario military planners consider among the most dangerous in modern warfare.

Why this mission stands out.

BAPCO Energies has confirmed that a hostile Iranian drone struck one of its storage facilities earlier today, triggering a tank fire. Emergency response teams, working alongside Civil Defense and relevant authorities, acted swiftly to extinguish the blaze.

Iranian authorities on Sunday executed two men convicted of acting on behalf of Israel and the United States during a wave of anti-government protests earlier this year, the judiciary said.

"Mohammad-Amin Biglari and Shahin Vahedparast... were hanged after the case was reviewed and the final verdict was confirmed by the Supreme Court," said the judiciary's Mizan Online website.

The two men were involved in anti-government protests that peaked in January, it said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said a US aircraft that had been searching for the crewmember of a missing American fighter jet had been destroyed, Iranian media reported on Sunday.

"An American enemy aircraft that was searching for the pilot of a downed fighter jet was destroyed by the fighters of Islam in the southern region of Isfahan," the Tasnim news agency quoted the Guards as saying.

US President Donald Trump said early Sunday the second crew member from the American fighter jet that crashed inside Iran was "SAFE and SOUND" following a search and rescue operation.

US forces have successfully rescued a downed airman from deep behind enemy lines in Iran. President Donald Trump hailed the mission as 'one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US history,' noting that the pilot sustained injuries but is now safe.

The miraculous operation comes after a separate rescue of another pilot yesterday, marking the first time in memory that two US pilots were rescued separately from enemy territory without any American casualties. The President praised the military’s overwhelming air superiority and called the operation a moment of national pride.

Civil Defence crews have successfully extinguished the blaze at a facility, and no injuries have been reported according the Ministry of Interior. Sirens sounded earlier, and residents were urged to remain calm and move to the nearest safe location.

The UAE's air defence systems are responding to incoming missile and drone threats from Iran, the Ministry of Defence said early on Sunday, as loud sounds were reported in several parts of the country.

Pope Leo XIV is set to mark Easter Sunday for the first time as pontiff, with the Middle East war casting a pall over the most important date in the Christian calendar.

The US-born pope, who has emerged as a leading voice against the war, will hold mass in St Peter's Square from 0830 GMT in front of thousands of faithful.

Speaking during an Easter Vigil on Saturday, the pontiff called for "a new world of peace and unity" and decried the divisions created by "war, injustice and the isolation of peoples and nations".

Leo has repeatedly called for peace in the Middle East and this week directly urged US President Donald Trump to find an "off-ramp".

Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said two power substations and a water desalination facility were targeted by Iranian drones, resulting in significant material damage and the temporary shutdown of two electricity generation units, but with no reported injuries.

The ministry said technical and emergency teams were immediately deployed and are working around the clock, in coordination with relevant authorities, to safeguard the stability of the power and water systems and ensure the continuity of essential services.

Kuwait's military said on Sunday its air defences were working to intercept missiles and drones, as Tehran continued its campaign in the Gulf in response to US-Israeli strikes.

"Kuwaiti Air Defenses are currently responding to hostile missile and drone threats," the Kuwaiti army posted on X, adding that any explosions heard were the result of air defence interceptions.

An Iranian drone attack had also caused "significant" damage to a government building in Kuwait City on Saturday evening, a finance ministry statement said, adding there were no reports of deaths or injuries.

Israel was targeted by missiles launched from Iran on Sunday, the Israeli military said, in the latest salvo in the Middle East war.

"A short while ago, the IDF identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel," the military said on social media.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that "many" of Iran's military leaders were killed in a huge strike on the Islamic republic's capital.

"Many of Iran's Military Leaders, who have led them poorly and unwisely, are terminated, along with much else, with this massive strike in Tehran!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The post included a video showing explosions lighting up a city's skyline at night but did not specify when the military action took place.

The war erupted more than a month ago with US-Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering a retaliation that has spread the conflict throughout the Middle East and convulsed the global economy.

Two family members of slain Iranian general Qassem Soleimani have been arrested in the United States after their residency permits were rescinded, the US State Department said Saturday.

"Last night, the niece and grand niece of deceased Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Major General Qassem Soleimani were arrested by federal agents following Secretary of State Marco Rubio's termination of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status," a department statement said.

It identified the niece as Hamideh Soleimani Afshar. Her daughter was not named.

Both "are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)," the statement said, without specifying their whereabouts.

But Iranian media quoted two daughters of Soleimani as saying the pair are not relatives.

"The US State Department's claim is a lie: the people arrested in the United States have no connection to the family," Zeinab Soleimani told the Fars news agency.

Another daughter, Narjes Soleimani, who is a member of Tehran's Islamic City Council, told Iranian state TV: "To this day, no member of the family nor any relative of Martyr Soleimani has resided in the United States."

Day 36: Trump warns Iran: 48 hours or all hell will reign down

Day 35: Trump seeks $1.5t defence budget as war intensifies

Day 34: UN chief warns world on 'edge of a wider war'

Day 33: Trump says US to hit Iran 'extremely hard'

Day 32: Debris hits several homes in Dubai, 4 injured

Day 31: Trump threatens to obliterate Iran's Kharg island