Amid reports that Iran has rejected a ceasefire proposal, President Donald Trump held a press conference today describing embattled rescue missions that occurred over the weekend.
The press conference took place at the White House.
“We're here today to celebrate the success of one of the largest, most complex, most harrowing combat searches. I guess you would call it a search and rescue mission ever attempted by the military,” Trump told reporters.
On April 3, Iranian air defenses struck a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft over southern Iran.
The pilot was rescued immediately and a Weapons Systems Officer was located 48 hours later.
“Both members of the crew were ejected from the aircraft and landed alive on Iranian soil,” Trump said.
He labeled the rescue mission "historic."
“We were helped by a lot of people, a lot of great people, and it was an honor to be involved with it,” Trump said. “It's very historic. This is a rescue that's very historic. It'll go down in the books.”
While praising the service members as brave, Trump also disclosed that the mission was put at great risk due to a leaker.
During the search and rescue, Iranian ground forces fired at the rescue aircraft.
“[Iranian officials] didn't know there was somebody missing until this leaker gave the information,” Trump said. “So whoever it was, we think we'll be able to find it out, because we're going to go to the media company that released it, and we're going to say, ‘National security, give it up or go to jail.’”
Iran was pre-emptively struck on Feb. 28 by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Israeli Defense Forces.
Dubbed Operation Epic Fury, the excursion has since sunk more than 60 Iranian ships, struck a multitude of targets across Iran and its military infrastructure, leveled drone factories, neutralized Iran's missile launchers, and hit ballistic missile manufacturing facilities.
"Nobody has the equipment that we have, and nobody has the military that we have," Trump said. "Not even close."
Trump threatened Iran with strikes on their power plants and other infrastructure targets if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by midnight on Monday.
He reaffirmed that warning.
“We're doing unbelievably well, at a level that nobody's ever seen before, the entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night,” Trump said.
However, Iranian officials want a permanent end to the war rather than a ceasefire, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
Pakistan is acting as mediator between the United States and Iran.
“We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won’t be attacked again,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of the Cario’s Iranian diplomatic mission head Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour said on Monday.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran,” he said. “There will be nothing like it!!! Open the [expletive] Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”