Islamabad's army chief held overnight contacts with the US vice president and Iran's foreign minister; the proposal calls for an immediate ceasefire, reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran's commitment to renounce nuclear weapons in exchange for sanctions relief.
Majid Khadami – successor to the commander Israel eliminated during Operation Rising Lion – was killed in a strike on a Revolutionary Guard headquarters, Iranian state media reported.
Frenzied mediation efforts by Egypt and Oman to secure a short ceasefire have failed after Tehran gave no response. In Washington, officials are demanding the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz with no conditions. President Donald Trump has approved operational plans, and officials in Jerusalem and Washington are preparing for the next stage of the campaign.
The president sent an unusually blunt message to the Islamic Republic's leadership and closed his post with "praise be to Allah" – Netanyahu responded: "I salute you. We all do."
In a complex military operation and amid fighting with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, US forces succeeded in locating and rescuing the Air Force crew member who ejected over Iranian territory.
A senior Israeli official told Reuters that officials in Jerusalem are waiting for US approval to strike electricity and fuel infrastructure across Iran.
Senior officials told Bloomberg that the US Air Force has moved almost all of its JASSM-ER missiles to the bomber base in Britain. These are stealthy, long-range missiles that have so far stood out for their precision strikes deep inside enemy territory.
An A-10 attack aircraft crashed near the Strait of Hormuz about an hour after an F-15 was shot down over Iran. The A-10 pilot was rescued safely, while the search continues for the second crew member from the F-15, who remains missing. NBC reported that two Black Hawk helicopters were damaged during the rescue mission in difficult conditions.
According to sources familiar with the details, Tehran is refusing to meet with American representatives and is rejecting US demands. Egypt and Turkey are trying to formulate an alternative framework for talks, while the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz continues to delay a breakthrough.
The unusual incident is shaking assessments in the Israeli Air Force. Pilots warn that even without mistakes, the risk exists on every sortie. Israel had prepared for a scenario in which an aircraft goes down in enemy territory, but the implications now are more complex.
