Iran war: US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed the US could "easily" open the Strait of Hormuz "with a little more time", stating it could be potential "gusher" for the world as everyone would make a fortune after taking the oil stuck there.
What did Trump say about opening Hormuz?
"With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE. IT WOULD BE A "GUSHER" FOR THE WORLD???" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump's remarks were apparently aimed at his allies who have rejected his calls to join the US-Israeli war against Iran, and Washington's efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway in the Persian Gulf through which one-fifth of the world's energy supplies transit.
Iran has virtually shut maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since February 28 when the US and Israel launched a devastating, unprovoked war against the Islamic Republic.
Since then, Iran has only allowed ships belonging to "friendly nations" to transit the critical waterway, with shipping data showing that maritime traffic in the Strait has dropped by at least 95 percent since the blockade.
Iran shoots down US jet
Meanwhile, Iran on Friday dealt a major blow to US-Israeli air operations in the ongoing conflict as it shot down a US fighter jet and claimed to have captured a US fighter pilot.
In a statement, the Spokesman of Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Headquarters claimed that two two US fighter jets- a F-35 Lightning II, and a F-15E Strike Eagle- were shot down with the new IRGC Aerospace Force air-defence system.
"A second US fifth-generation F-35 was struck and downed over central Iran by a new IRGC Aerospace Force air-defence system. Given the massive explosion on impact and during the crash, the pilot is unlikely to have ejected," the Spokesman was quoted as saying.
Did Iran capture a US pilot?
Iranian state media reports claimed that a US pilot who flew one of the jets, was likely captured by the IRGC. According to Tasnim News, the Revolutionary Guards took the pilot into custody after he ejected over western Iran from an F-35 fighter jet which was struck by its new air defense system.
Later, a US official confirmed to Reuters that a US fighter jet had been shot down over Iran, adding that search operations for the "missing" crew were underway. However, the official did not confirm whether the jet which was downed was an F-35 or F-15E.
Iranian state media said two US helicopters were searching for the pilots of the downed jets, and a Hercules C-130 aircraft was also involved in the searches.