Trump warns Iran as Tehran ridicules ultimatum and fighting intensifies

Washington: US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned Iran that 'time is running out' to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while Iranian officials dismissed what they described as his latest ultimatum as fighting involving the United States, Iran and Israel continued to widen.

In a social media post, Trump wrote: 'Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out -- 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.' He added: 'Glory be to GOD!'

Iran responded by mocking the warning. Officials derided what they called his 'ultimatum rants,' saying, 'Our honest reply to old man's ultimatum rants now.'

At the same time, US search and rescue operations continued for a second day for the missing second crew member of a downed F-15E fighter jet. One pilot was rescued on Friday after the F-15E Strike Eagle became the first US aircraft to be brought down over Iran during the five-week war, but the second member of the two-person crew remained unaccounted for. The US Air Force deployed low-flying Pave Hawk helicopters and specialist C-130 Hercules transport aircraft as part of the recovery effort.

Missile deployment and air defence claims

The United States is also preparing to move a substantial share of its global inventory of advanced stealth cruise missiles for the next stage of its military campaign against Iran. Citing a source familiar with the matter, an order was issued in late March to divert Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles-Extended Range, or JASSM-ER, from US Pacific Command stockpiles to the Middle East.

More missiles from the continental United States and other overseas locations are also being redirected to US Central Command bases and RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom. Each JASSM-ER missile is valued at about $1.5 million and has a range of more than 600 miles. The weapon is designed to hit heavily defended targets while allowing launch aircraft to remain outside hostile air defence zones.

Iran’s military command said it had deployed a new air defence system that was used against the US jets downed on Friday. It also said Tehran would 'definitely achieve full control' over its airspace after more than a month of US and Israeli aerial dominance during the war.

Hormuz restrictions and regional warnings

Iran said it would allow ships carrying 'essential goods' to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the state-run Tasnim news agency. However, it remained unclear what Tehran considers essential goods or whether it would continue blocking vessels from countries it regards as hostile.

Iranian state media also reported that Tehran warned the United States and Israel that continued military escalation in the region would have devastating consequences.

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya joint military command said Iraq would be exempt from restrictions imposed on transit through the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement on X, Brigadier General Ebrahim Zolfaghari said: 'We announce that our brotherly country, Iraq, is exempt from any restrictions we have imposed on the Strait of Hormuz. Your struggle against America is worthy of respect, appreciation, and admiration.'

Israel signals further strikes

A senior Israeli defence official said on Saturday that Israel was preparing possible attacks on Iranian energy facilities but was waiting for approval from the United States. The official said any such strikes would likely take place within the next week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed that Israel had struck Iran’s petrochemical plants after Tehran reported damage to several petrochemical companies in Khuzestan province in southwestern Iran on Saturday. "I promised you that we would continue to crush the terrorist regime in Tehran, and that is exactly what we are doing,' Netanyahu said.

Iran’s Mehr News reported that the resulting fire had been 'fully contained and extinguished.' Israel has increasingly targeted industrial sites in Iran, including steel plants, cement factories and petrochemical complexes, as part of its military campaign.

State Department announces arrests

Separately, the US State Department announced that Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, identified as the niece of slain Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani, had been arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with her daughter and that both were facing deportation.

In a statement, the State Department said: 'While living in the United States, (Hamideh Soleimani Afshar) promoted Iranian regime propaganda, celebrated attacks against American soldiers and military facilities in the Middle East, praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the 'Great Satan,' and voiced her unflinching support for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terror organization.'

The department added that Afshar had been living in Los Angeles with her child. In a separate post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said both Afshar and her daughter had held US green cards, which he had revoked. "The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes,' Rubio said.