By TARYN KAUR PEDLER, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER

Updated: 05:10 EDT, 5 April 2026

The wreckage of American planes blown up by US special forces during a raid to rescue a second missing pilot has been revealed. 

President Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday that a second crew member of an F-15 fighter jet, which was downed over a remote area of Iran, had been recovered in ‘one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History’.

The announcement came as Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and Kuwait early Sunday, and a day after Trump said the Islamic Republic had 48 hours to cut a deal or face ‘all Hell’.

‘This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies,’ Trump said on Truth Social. ‘He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine.

It comes after Trump took to Truth Social on Saturday, stating: ‘Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ referring to an ultimatum issued on March 26.

‘Time is running out – 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic) down on them.’

Iran’s central military command rejected the ultimatum, with General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi saying Trump’s threat was a ‘helpless, nervous, unbalanced and stupid action’.

Echoing Trump’s language, he warned that ‘the gates of hell will open for you’. 

WATCH: Second US airman extracted in ‘miraculous’ rescue mission

Iran releases images reportedly of downed US aircraft

A US service member who has been missing since Iran shot down a fighter jet has been rescued, President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post early Sunday.

A frantic US search-and-rescue operation unfolded after the crash of the F-15E Strike Eaglejet on Friday, as Iran also promised a reward for anyone who turned in the ‘enemy pilot.’

A second crew member was rescued earlier.

Trump wrote that the aviator is injured but ‘will be just fine,’ adding that he took refuge ‘in the treacherous mountains of Iran.’

Trump added that the rescue involved “dozens of aircraft” and that the US had been monitoring his location ’24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue.’

READ MORE: US special forces rescue second missing F15 airman from Iran in ‘one of the most daring operations in history’, says Trump

US special forces had to destroy two of their own planes as they completed an audacious rescue of an airman trapped behind enemy lines.

The airman, alongside a pilot, had been in an F-15 fighter jet which was shot down over a remote area of Iran on Friday.

The pilot had safely ejected and was rescued by two military helicopters the same day, but the second crew member had remained missing.

Israel issues new threat on Beirut’s southern suburbs

The Israeli military has directed residents from a neighbourhood in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, to leave their homes in advance of an attack.

‘To everyone present in the building marked in red as shown on the map and the adjacent buildings: You are located near a facility affiliated with Hezbollah’, Arabic language spokesman Avichay Adraee said, without providing evidence.

In a post on X, Adraee shared a map of the Ghobeiry neighbourhood, with a building highlighted in red.

WHO chief raises concerns over US-Israeli attacks on nuclear sites in Iran

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation, has raised the alarm over the safety of nuclear facilities in Iran following US-Israeli strikes close to the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

The attack ‘is a stark reminder: a strike could trigger a nuclear accident, with health impacts that would devastate generations.

‘With every passing day of this escalating conflict, the stakes and threats are raised higher and higher’, Tedros said on X.

China condemns US strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure

Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in India, shared the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ message stating that the US-Israeli military operations against Iran violate international law.

Responding to a query, over China’s stance after US President Donald Trump claimed that the US air strikes destroyed an Iranian civilian bridge to pressure Iran into negotiations, the Chinese MFA said: ‘The US-Israeli military operations against Iran have no authorisation of the UN Security Council and violate international law.

‘China opposes attacks against civilian facilities. Relevant parties should stop the military actions at once, return to the track of political and diplomatic settlement, and avoid an even worse humanitarian disaster.’

Iran strikes hit energy infrastructure across Gulf states

Critical infrastructure across the Gulf came under attack from Iran on Sunday, with damage reported at civilian facilities in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Authorities in Abu Dhabi said on Sunday they were battling fires at a petrochemical plant in Ruwais Industrial City on the UAE’s northwest coast.

‘Authorities are responding to multiple fires in the Borouge petrochemicals plant, caused by falling debris following successful interceptions by air defence systems,’ the Gulf emirate’s media office said.

‘Operations at the facility have been immediately suspended while damage is assessed. No injuries have been reported,’ it added after the United Arab Emirates’ defence ministry earlier said it was responding to missile and drone attacks.

Iran’s army earlier said it was targeting ‘aluminium industries’ in the UAE and US military infrastructure in Kuwait, the official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

The Islamic Republic has repeatedly threatened civilian infrastructure in the Gulf countries, as US-Israeli attacks in Iran have also hit targets that are key to the Islamic Republic’s economy.

Iran internet blackout now world’s longest nationwide shutdown, says NetBlocks

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

‘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 post on X.

Israelis ‘filled with joy’ after US service member rescue, finance minister says

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich took to Telegram this morning to say: ‘The heart of every Jew and every Israeli is filled this morning with joy over the safe rescue of the two American aircrew members in a heroic operation on Iranian soil.

‘The bravery, courage, professionalism, and commitment to bringing every soldier home are yet another example of the shared values of the United States and the State of Israel – from Entebbe to Isfahan,’ he added, referencing a 1976 Israeli rescue mission at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Iran shares photo of downed US aircraft in Isfahan

Iranian drones attack Bahrain petrochemical plant

Bahrain’s official news agency said on Sunday the attack ignited fires in two units at the state-run petrochemical plant.

According to the Bahrain News Agency, which cited the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company, firefighters have brought the fire under control, and authorities are assessing the damage.

Iran says 10 killed and seven injured from strikes in country’s southwest

Nournews, a media outlet believed to have close links with Iranian security forces, reported on Sunday that the strikes occurred in Dehdasht county and the Vezq district, around 360 miles south of Tehran.

Nournews didn’t specify if those killed included military personnel, but said two were tourists.

Media reports had said on Friday that a US pilot who went missing after his aircraft was shot down may have been in the same areas where the strikes happened.

Nournews didn’t say if the deaths were linked to a rescue operation for the US pilot.

The second US airman who was missing in Iran has been saved by US forces after a daring rescue mission, President Trump said. 

Trump touted the operation late Saturday night as ‘one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History’, saying the US retrieved a colonel from deep in enemy territory. 

In a playful echo of President Obama’s famous words after US Navy Seals killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, Trump began his statement announcing the news: ‘WE GOT HIM!’

‘This brave warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour,’ Trump said in a Truth Social post. 

The colonel was injured in a fierce shootout with IRGC forces, but is ‘safe and sound’, Trump said. 

The airman ejected from an F-15E fighter jet along with the aircraft’s pilot in the early hours of Friday, sparking a frantic two-day search operation that culminated in a fierce firefight. 

Trump said the aircraft’s pilot was secretly rescued hours after the crash, but that operation was kept quiet to not ‘jeopardize our second rescue operation.’ 

The F-15E jet was downed on Friday soon after a US A-10 Warthog was also shot down by Iranian forces in a chaotic day of fighting, marking the first US aircraft downed since the start of the conflict. 

A second US airman shot down over Iran has been rescued in a daring rescue mission following a fierce firefight with the IRGC, reports say. The wreckage of the pilot’s F-15E fighter jet is pictured

Pictured: The ejected seat from the US aircraft as published in Iranian media  

Trump touted the success of the rescue mission on Saturday evening. In a playful echo of President Obama’s famous words after US Navy Seals killed Osama bin Laden in 2011, Trump began his statement announcing the news: ‘WE GOT HIM’

It came after Trump said earlier on Truth Social that US forces had ‘terminated’ several of Iran’s military leaders, sharing footage appearing to show an airstrike taking out top IRGC commanders.

Trump’s social media posts praising the rescue operations came hours after the White House furiously shut down rumors the president was hospitalized on Saturday, saying he has not made public appearances in three days because he is focusing on the conflict with Iran. 

Following the downing of two US aircrafts on Friday, Iran placed a large bounty on the heads of the US airmen, vowing to seek revenge on US military forces for the conflict. 

Before the rescue mission took place, the official X account for the Iranian Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, released harrowing new images of the destroyed F-15E jet, accompanied by a taunting caption.

‘The stealth fighter that now has no escape but to lie under the feet of aerospace warriors,’ the embassy wrote.

‘That same stealth giant, for which they wove legends for years, is today a pile of scrap metal fallen to the ground – this is the very technology they claimed was invisible and untouchable,’ it added. ‘But now it has been seen and brought down.’ 

While the pilot was rescued quickly, the second member of the crew, a Weapons Systems Officer, used specialized survival techniques to evade capture long enough to be saved, Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin said in an X post on Saturday night. 

The soldier used SERE – survival, evasion, resistance and escape – training to evade capture, hiking up an elevated ridge away from the wreckage and putting out an emergency beacon in hopes of being located. 

Griffin said a number of Iranian military forces were killed and injured in the operation, but no US soldiers were killed.  

Trump said earlier on Truth Social that US forces had ‘terminated’ several of Iran’s military leaders, sharing footage appearing to show an airstrike taking out top IRGC commanders

The Iranian military previously shared footage appearing to show the F-15E fighter jet being blown out of the sky 

A US official told Fox News the mission was ‘very complex’, and involved several branches of the US military to find and rescue the airman. 

During search and rescue operations on Friday, two rescue helicopters were hit by Iranian forces and crew members on board were injured. 

As Iranian forces closed in on the stranded airman, footage circulating on social media appeared to show members of Iran’s Bakhtiari tribes in Khuzestan heading into the mountains, rifles in hand, to search for the American soldier. 

Iranians have been offered a $60,000 bounty for the pilot’s ‘head,’ while Trump declined to comment on how he would respond if the airman were to have been harmed.

Broadcasters urged locals near the crash site to seize the American, telling viewers, ‘If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police you will receive a precious prize.’

News channels also flashed messages on screen of ‘shoot them if you see them’ and showed footage of villagers scouring a rocky hillside.

In a gloating online statement, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf taunted the US and Trump over his repeated claims of winning the war.

‘After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from “regime change” to “Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please?”’ Ghalibaf wrote.

Fire safety rules that forced British sofas to be packed with potentially harmful chemicals are finally being overhauled.

The move follows years of campaigning by mother Delyth Fetherston-Dilke, who has warned the regulations are exposing families to harmful chemicals inside their homes.

An investigation has revealed how for almost 40 years the rules, far stricter than in any other country, have made it near impossible to pass furniture fire safety tests without using large amounts of chemical flame retardants.

A typical UK sofa contains about 2kg of these toxic substances.

Dilke has repeatedly called for reform, arguing that the current standards have created a hidden health risk, particularly for young children and pets who come into close contact with treated materials. 

The World Health Organisation announced last month in the latest Lancet Oncology journal that the most common flame retardant in UK sofas, TCPP, was ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’. 

Scientists and campaigners have also warned that these chemicals do not stay locked inside furniture. 

Instead, they can escape into household dust and be inhaled or ingested, with studies suggesting young children are particularly vulnerable due to their closer contact with floors and soft furnishings.

Fire safety rules that forced British sofas to be packed with potentially harmful chemicals are finally being overhauled after a years-long campaign by a mother who warned they posed a risk to families. Pictured: A sofa dumped on a pavement in Chalvey

The policy U-turn comes after a long campaign by Delyth Fetherston-Dilke (pictured), a former lawyer from Richmond, south-west London, who uncovered the issue after retraining as an upholsterer

Officials now say they will replace the open flame test with a ‘smoulder test’, which more closely reflects real-life fire risks such as a lit cigarette, the Sunday Times reports.

The change is intended to maintain fire safety standards while significantly reducing reliance on chemical treatments. 

The government has acknowledged growing evidence linking flame retardants to a range of health concerns, including cancer, neurotoxicity, developmental issues and disruption to hormones. 

There are also fears the chemicals increase the toxicity of smoke in a fire and make recycling furniture far more difficult. 

The policy U-turn comes after a long campaign by Ms Fetherston-Dilke, a former lawyer from Richmond, south-west London, who uncovered the issue after retraining as an upholsterer.

While studying furniture construction, she found extensive scientific research suggesting the very chemicals designed to slow fires could be harmful to humans and animals. 

She has argued for years that Britain’s rules left households exposed to unnecessary risks without clear evidence they saved lives.

Her concerns were echoed by the fact that major retailers produce different versions of sofas for different markets, with flame retardants added only to those sold in the UK and Ireland.

The regulations themselves date back to late-20th century reforms brought in after a series of fatal fires, including a blaze at a Woolworths store in Manchester that killed 10 people. 

But critics say the rules have remained largely unchanged despite evolving evidence about health impacts. 

Warnings are not new. As far back as 2017, experts were raising alarm over a possible link between flame retardants and rising cancer rates.

Former government adviser Terry Edge claimed at the time that the chemicals could be contributing to thousands of illnesses, particularly affecting children. 

Separate research from Duke University found higher levels of certain flame retardants in the blood and homes of thyroid cancer patients. 

Although some of the most dangerous compounds have since been banned, they remain present in older furniture and continue to circulate in household dust. 

Ministers will now consult on the proposed changes, with campaigners hailing the decision as a major breakthrough after years of inaction. 

Ms Fetherston-Dilke said the shift marked a turning point, after more than a decade of pressure to bring Britain in line with international standards while better protecting public health. 

The desperate hunt for a downed American airman intensified on Saturday night as US special forces raced against armed Iranian nomads to find the missing crewman.

Tehran placed a bounty of £50,000 on the head of the weapons systems operator who ejected from his F-15E Strike Eagle on Friday moments before the jet was ‘obliterated’ by a surface to air missile.

The pilot was rescued within 45 minutes of the plane going down over treacherous mountain terrain in southern Iran. 

But US officials now fear the missing crewman could be used as a human bargaining chip.

A source close to Donald Trump told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Everything is being thrown at finding the missing airman. 

‘We have special forces in the area and the might of the entire US military is in this hunt. 

‘The fear is he will be captured and used as a pawn. We need to find him before the Iranians and bring him home.’

The source added that Mr Trump is being ‘briefed around the clock’ about the search-and-rescue mission and said the President chose to remain at the White House this weekend instead of going to his home in Florida, ‘because he wants to be at the heart of things’.

Tehran placed a bounty of £50,000 on the head of the American weapons systems operator who ejected from his F-15E Strike Eagle on Friday before the jet was ‘obliterated’ by a missile. Pictured: Armed Iranian tribesmen search for the missing US airman 

The pilot was rescued within 45 minutes of the plane going down over treacherous mountain terrain in southern Iran. Pictured: An ejector seat from the downed fighter plane 

But US officials now fear the missing crewman could be used as a human bargaining chip. Pictured: Armed Iranian tribesmen search for the missing US airman

Iranian media has broadcast images of US aircraft searching for the missing airman while constantly repeating the reward for his capture, which has prompted rag-tag groups of goat herders and farmers to take up makeshift weapons and join the hunt. 

Iranian leaders encouraged people to head to the area to capture the American but warned: ‘Do not mistreat him.’

Mr Trump last night warned Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, saying: ‘Time is running out – 48 hours before all hell will reign (sic) down on them. Glory be to God!’

Israel has stopped attacks in the area where the jet was shot down and Israel Special Forces are said to be helping US Navy Seals and Army Green Berets on the ground.

The missing officer is trained in SERE (survival, evasion, resistance and escape) and may have been injured after ejecting.

Trained to survive for several days, he will hide during daylight and if he moves at all will do so at night. 

Marina Miron, from the defence studies department at King’s College London, said ‘he will be trying to blend with the terrain and survive until he is found’.

She added: ‘The problem here is, the better he hides, the more difficult it will be to locate him for those conducting the rescue.’

Laurel Rapp, of the US and North America programme at Chatham House, told the BBC that capturing the airman would be a ‘huge prize’ for Iran and offer them a ‘very powerful bargaining chip’.

A former military hostage negotiator last night raised the possibility Iran had already captured him, telling the BBC they may be using his location beacon to lure in US forces. 

The downed jet is thought to have previously been based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, but sources suggest they were moved to Jordan when the war began.

Iran parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf trolled Mr Trump on X yesterday, saying: ‘After defeating Iran 37 times in a row, this brilliant no-strategy war they started has now been downgraded from “regime change” to “Hey! Can anyone find our pilots? Please? Wow. What incredible progress. Absolute geniuses”.’

The hunt for the airman marks a pivotal point in the war, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28. 

If captured, it raises the spectre of a repeat of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis when militant students took over the US embassy in Tehran and kept 52 Americans captive for 444 days.

The crisis defined Jimmy Carter’s last year as president and Mr Trump has repeatedly called the incident ‘weak and pathetic’.

Mr Trump has vowed the downed airman will not hamper talks to end the conflict – talks the Iranians deny are even taking place.

Iranian media has broadcast images of US aircraft searching for the missing airman while constantly repeating the reward for his capture. Pictured: Iranian police appearing to fire at two US helicopters as they search for the downed crewman 

It has prompted rag-tag groups of goat herders and farmers to take up makeshift weapons and join the hunt. Pictured: Armed Iranian tribesmen search for the missing US airman

Iranian leaders encouraged people to head to the area to capture the American but warned: ‘Do not mistreat him’. Pictured: Wreckage of the downed plane posted online by Tehran, left, and the logo normally on the tail of this type of aircraft, right   

The missing officer is trained in SERE (survival, evasion, resistance and escape) and may have been injured after ejecting. Pictured: File photo of a member of the US Air Force on a training exercise 

Trained to survive for several days, he will hide during daylight and if he moves at all will do so at night. Pictured: File photo of members of the US Air Force on a training exercise 

The downed jet is thought to have previously been based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, but sources suggest they were moved to Jordan when the war began. Pictured: A plane of the same model takes off from the British base on a training exercise 

Iran has launched at least 50 ballistic missiles and more than 150 drones at US targets in the past 72 hours, including the missile which downed the F-15E fighter. Pictured: A US aircraft an two helicopters fly over Iran earlier this week

A US Black Hawk helicopter involved in the search for the missing crewman was hit by ground fire but landed safely. Pictured: Iranian police appearing to shoot at US rescue crews 

Despite the President touting ‘swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield’, Iran has launched at least 50 ballistic missiles and more than 150 drones at US targets in the past 72 hours, including the missile which downed the F-15E fighter.

A US Black Hawk helicopter involved in the search was hit by ground fire but landed safely. 

And an A-10 Warthog plane crashed in the Gulf but the pilot ejected over Kuwait and was rescued.

Democratic senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs while serving as an Army helicopter pilot during the war in Iraq, said: ‘As someone shot down behind enemy lines, my heart goes out to the crew members and their loved ones waiting for answers.’

Some 13 US service members have been killed in the war to date – seven by hostile fire and six in a plane crash.

Mr Trump ramped up his attacks against European allies this week for their refusal to show ‘courage’ in helping to open the Strait of Hormuz. 

Nato’s Secretary General Mark Rutte will visit the White House next week.

Labour should lift its ban on drilling in the North Sea immediately to stop households being hammered by the cost of the Iran crisis, voters have said.

The findings – that Energy Secretary Ed Miliband should ditch Net Zero dogma and release the £165billion worth of oil and gas beneath British waters – come amid a growing Cabinet split on the issue and mounting pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to scrap planned petrol tax hikes in the autumn.

Since Iran began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz following US and Israeli attacks, global energy prices have soared, with the cost of a litre of diesel in the UK heading towards the £2 mark.

Research conducted by former Conservative deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft has found that half of all voters think Mr Miliband should ‘drill, baby, drill’ – in the words of Donald Trump, who was elected in the US on a promise to ramp up gas and oil production.

The poll, shared with The Mail on Sunday, also shows an unprecedented three-way split between the Tories, Reform and the Greens, who are all on 21 per cent, with Labour trailing in fourth place on 17 per cent.

It is the first time in nearly a year that Reform UK has not led in a survey and will add to mounting anxiety within the party over Nigel Farage’s apparent loss of momentum ahead of next month’s local elections.

With no end in sight to the Iran war:

• The desperate hunt for an American airman downed in Iran intensified on Saturday night as US special forces raced against armed nomads to find the missing crewman in the south of the country;

Research conducted by former Conservative deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft has found that half of all voters think Mr Miliband should ‘drill, baby, drill’. Pictured: Mr Miliband on a visit to the Port of Holyhead, North Wales in 2024

Since Iran began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, following US and Israeli attacks, global energy prices have soared. Pictured: File photo of an offshore oil and gas platform 

The findings – that Energy Secretary Ed Miliband should ditch Net Zero dogma and release the £165billion worth of oil and gas beneath British waters – come amid a growing Cabinet split on the issue. Pictured: Mr Miliband on BBC current affairs programme Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg last month

• President Trump issued a blistering warning to Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz, warning on social media: ‘Time is running out – 48 hours before all hell will reign [sic] down on them. Glory be to God!’

• An elite team of Royal Navy divers are on standby to deploy to the Strait of Hormuz to help defuse Iranian sea mines blocking shipping lanes;

• Former RAF pilot John Peters – who was shot down and captured in Iraq in 1991 – warned the downed airman would be involved in a desperate bid to evade capture.

A fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz and its closure has put intense pressure on the global economy.

Britain’s North Sea oil reserves were central to Margaret Thatcher’s administration in the 1980s, with the £70billion in revenues helping to fund industrial restructuring and tax cuts.

Mr Miliband has stuck to his Net Zero-driven opposition to new fossil fuel extraction, insisting that approving new drilling licences would not lower bills for UK consumers.

Last week, he said that ‘people who say new exploration licences will somehow create huge amounts of energy for us’ were ‘just wrong’.

Ms Reeves, by contrast, has said she is ‘very happy’ to back exploration at the Rosebank oilfield and Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea.

Mr Miliband (pictured, on a visit to the London Power Tunnels last month) has stuck to his Net Zero-driven opposition to new fossil fuel extraction

But the Tories and Reform have called for the Energy Secretary to reverse his ‘ideological’ opposition to accessing the three billion barrels of oil and gas, which are worth about £165billion. Pictured: The Well-Safe Protector oil rig in Aberdeen 

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch (pictured, on a visit to a chemical company in Teesside on the local election campaign trail this week) has called the failure to tap North Sea oil and gas ‘economic insanity’

On Saturday night, Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice (pictured, at a Reform UK press conference last month) told this newspaper: ‘This poll proves that the British people have far more common sense than the political class’

The Tories and Reform have called for the Energy Secretary to reverse his ‘ideological’ opposition to accessing the three billion barrels of oil and gas, which are worth about £165billion, with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch describing the failure as ‘economic insanity’. 

On Saturday night, Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice told this newspaper: ‘This poll proves that the British people have far more common sense than the political class. 

‘We’ve got hundreds of billions of pounds worth of energy treasure sitting under our feet.

‘It’s our patriotic duty to maximise British gas production, create jobs, boost growth, and achieve true energy independence.

‘Labour and the Tories have failed on this for years. Reform will lift the restrictions on day one, get drilling and deliver lower bills for everyone.’

That view has been echoed by President Trump, who has described the North Sea as a ‘treasure chest’ for the UK and urged Sir Keir Starmer to take advantage of it.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, the SNP, Tony Blair’s think tank and the Labour-supporting GMB Union have also expressed their support.

The average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts is up 30 per cent since the start of the war to 185.2p and could breach £2 within weeks, experts have warned.

Meanwhile, petrol prices have risen 16 per cent to an average of 154.5p per litre over the same period.

That view has been echoed by US President Donald Trump (pictured during a televised address on the war in the Middle East this week), who has described the North Sea as a ‘treasure chest’ for the UK and urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to take advantage of it

The average price of a litre of diesel at UK forecourts is up 30 per cent since the start of the war to 185.2p and could breach £2 within weeks, experts have warned. Pictured: File photo of a petrol and diesel price sign at a station in London this week 

Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves (pictured in the House of Commons last month) is planning to end the current 5p a litre fuel duty relief in September

Ms Reeves, who is raking in more than £100million in extra VAT receipts each month, is planning to end the current 5p a litre fuel duty relief in September, a move which will add, on average, another £3 to the cost of filling a tank.

Governments around the world have been lowering fuel taxes to ease the burden on households from soaring petrol and diesel prices.

Anthony Albanese, the Australian Prime Minister, has already halved fuel duty.

Writing in this week’s Mail on Sunday, Lord Ashcroft says: ‘Having seen how precarious our supplies from the Middle East can be, more think the Government should end its absurd ban on new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea than keep it.

‘For worried families, household bills and security of supply tend to win out over Net Zero targets.’

By JIMMY MCCLOSKEY, HEAD OF NEWS

Published: 13:00 EDT, 4 April 2026 | Updated: 13:34 EDT, 4 April 2026

The niece and grand-niece of a notorious late Iranian general have been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles and had their green cards revoked.

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter, who was not named, were detained by ICE on Friday while living the high life in the City of Angels. 

The pair had celebrated the deaths of US soldiers during President Donald Trump’s ongoing war with Iran, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Rubio added that the permanent residence status that allowed them to live indefinitely in the United States was revoked and that they will be deported at the first available opportunity. 

He wrote: ‘Until recently, Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter were green card holders living lavishly in the United States. 

‘Afshar is the niece of deceased Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani. She is also an outspoken supporter of the Iranian regime who celebrated attacks on Americans and referred to our country as the “Great Satan.” 

‘This week, I terminated both Afshar and her daughter’s legal status and they are now in ICE custody, pending removal from the United States. 

‘The Trump Administration will not allow our country to become a home for foreign nationals who support anti-American terrorist regimes.’

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar, pictured, and her daughter have both been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in LA and had their green cards revoked over their alleged celebration of the deaths of US soldiers in Iran

Afshar is the niece of the notorious late Iranian general Qasem Soleimani (pictured), who was killed by a US drone strike at Baghdad Airport in January 2020

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the two women’s arrest and impending removal from the United States on his X account on Saturday

Afshar is the niece of Qasem Soleimani. 

He was one of Iran’s most powerful military figures and was the commander of the Quds force when he was killed by a US drone strike at Baghdad Airport in January 2020.

A press release issued by the State Department further accused Afshar of ‘promoting Iranian regime propaganda’.

It said she had ‘praised the new Iranian Supreme Leader, denounced America as the “Great Satan” and voiced her unflinching support for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terrorist organization.’

Rubio said his department had been alerted to Afshar’s antics by her posts about Iran and the United States on her since-deleted Instagram account. 

It is unclear how long she had been living in the United States for and how old her daughter is. 

Afshar’s anti-American rhetoric stepped up in recent weeks, after President Trump began bombing Iran on February 28.

The country’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among those killed in the US-Israel bombardment which has triggered international chaos.

Trump has said he will resume bombing within 48 hours if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping channel that much of the world’s oil supply must pass through. 

Developing story, check back for updates… 

Bath came back from a disappointing first half to progress through to the Champions Cup quarter-finals with a 31-22 win over Saracens; they will face fellow English club Northampton Saints in the quarter-finals at home next weekend

Joe Cokanasiga scored Bath’s second try to turn around the game in the second half

Bath turned to a quartet of their England backs to turn the tide as they edged into the Champions Cup quarter-finals with a 31-22 victory over Saracens.

Trailing 10-0 at the interval at the Recreation Ground, the hosts burst into life with tries from Henry Arundell, Joe Cokanasiga, Ben Spencer and Ollie Lawrence as they set up a last-eight appointment at home against Northampton.

Spencer’s 59th-minute finish of an audacious attack that began on their own try-line looked to be pivotal but the determined Saracens refused to throw in the towel and were only truly beaten when Arundell ran in his second try in the 80th minute.

Bath’s scrum needed rescuing after a humbling first half with the introduction of prop Thomas du Toit making the difference with the South African tighthead also being named man of the match.

Unlike their visit to the Recreation Ground a fortnight ago when they were overwhelmed 62-15, it was clear Saracens meant business from the start as they halted an early Bath onslaught including holding up a forward drive over the line.

Having proved their mettle in defence, they surged ahead in the 14th minute when Charlie Bracken deceived Cokanasiga with a dummy from the base of a maul and raced over.

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Bath’s scrum was beginning to buckle and they were also suffering at the breakdown, but the visitors were their own worst enemies at times with Fergus Burke failing to find touch with a penalty.

Rhys Carre rampaged into space and Noah Caluori almost crossed in the left corner before Guy Pepper was shown a yellow card for cynically heading the ball away on the floor.

So many elements of Saracens’ game were firing but the points they deserved proved elusive with an Owen Farrell penalty their only other score in a half they had controlled.

Henry Arundell scored Bath’s first try

To punish their wastefulness, Arundell sprinted across after being released by Charlie Ewels early in the second half and then Cokanasiga scooped up a loose ball to weave over after Lawrence had carried into space.

The tries sandwiched a dramatic reversal in the scrum with Beno Obano sin-binned for a cumulation of penalties before Du Toit forced a penalty, providing Cokanasiga with the platform to score.

Bath led for the first time and then produced the highlight of the afternoon by stopping Saracens from scoring by dislodging the ball from Andy Onyeama-Christie as he ran at the line before strking with a move that began from their own whitewash.

Cokanasiga escaped the 22, found Alfie Barbeary who waited for Spencer and the England scrum-half had gas to finish from long range.

Bath will play Northampton Saints in the quarter-finals

Maro Itoje and then Ivan van Zyl burst through the breakdown and Saracens were far from done as a period of pressure ended with Max Malins touching down in the left corner.

But Harry Wilson was the next to see yellow for a dangerous tackle on Miles Reid and soon after Lawrence crashed over from close range before Caluori replied for Saracens, but Bath ultimately had the final say at the death through Arundell.

A teacher at a Church of England school secretly filmed the bottoms and legs of women in public for ‘sexual gratification’.

Andrew Winkworth admitted to covertly videoing women walking the streets of Norwich over two years, zooming in on their lower parts.

The class teacher was busted after he uploaded the graphic content to his Google Drive account, which he could access from his school iPad.

A total of 31 videos of women and groups of women, including some duplicates, were found on Winkworth’s laptops at Worlingham CEVC Primary School in Beccles.

Many of the clips, taken between August 2020 and January 2022, focused on the bottoms and legs of women wearing leggings and trousers.

On at least one video, Winkworth appeared to ‘increase his pace’ to catch up with a woman before slowing down to keep a set distance.

Winkworth, now 45, was also shown following the same woman for up to ten minutes on four occasions.

Other clips included women accompanied by young children.

A school investigation found that because the graphic videos were on school iPads, they could have been found by pupils, although there is no evidence that any students were exposed to the content.

In its findings, a teacher misconduct panel said Winkworth had shown ‘poor judgement, failed to uphold the dignity and rights of others, and was inconsistent with the expectations placed on teachers as role models for children and young people’.

It added that his conduct risked undermining public confidence in the teaching profession.

In his own submissions, Winkworth said he was a hardworking and dedicated teacher and that his actions were ‘out of character’.

But he admitted his decision to film women in public was both ‘unusual and unacceptable’ and required corrective action.

The panel noted Winkworth had shown ‘limited evidence of reflection on the impact of his behaviour on the women involved or on public confidence in the profession’.

Outlining his decision to ban Winkworth from teaching indefinitely, DavidOatley said the teacher had shown a ‘lack of insight’

Winkworth has 28 days to appeal the decision, after which he will have to wait at least four years before being able to apply for his teaching suspension to be lifted.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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By JOE ROSSITER, REPORTER

Published: 11:48 EDT, 4 April 2026 | Updated: 11:57 EDT, 4 April 2026

A football manager was accused of headbutting his opposition counterpart – who fell down ‘like a sack of spuds’ – during a non-league fixture on Friday.

Maidenhead United boss Ryan Peters was sent off after he allegedly headbutted Slough Town coach Scott Davis during a confrontation after a last-minute equaliser in the National League South tie.

It followed a late challenge on Maidenhead’s Jordon Ragguette, who was forced off the field on a stretcher amid the brawl that broke out after his injury.

In a video posted to Instagram, Peters appeared to have his hands on Davis, who fell down holding his face as players and staff clashed in a crowded brawl.

One comment on the video said Davis had gone down ‘like a sack of spuds’ after he landed heavily on the turf.

Maidenhead players in black and white could be seen pushing and shoving alongside the Slough players, in orange, on the touchline next to the Main Stand.

At one point a man appeared to try to drag the Slough manager off the pitch as he lay on the grass but was pushed away.

Scuffles continued among players and staff before stewards eventually split the groups – Peters was sent off after order had been restored.

Slough Town manager Scott Davis fell to the floor holding his face after allegedly being headbutted by his Maidenhead United counterpart

Davis remained on the floor amid a scuffle which broke out in the final minutes of the game between the two National League South sides, which ended 2-2

Players and staff were involved in a brawl after Jordon Ragguette was brought down by a late challenge

During the hubbub a man appeared to try to drag Davis off the pitch but was pushed away

The video’s caption read: ‘Non league [sic] football at its finest.’

Peters’s Maidenhead side, playing away from home and fighting for a play-off place, had been 2-0 up after an hour following goals from Josh Umerah and Asher Yearwood.

But the Rebels fought back at Arbour Park and scored a 98th-minute equaliser through a Kiki Oshilaja header to draw the game, dubbed the ‘SL Clasico’ for the teams’ shared postcode area.

It was after this that Raguette was brought down, sparking the brawl and leading referee Steven Swann to send Peters off.

After the match, Peters told the Maidenhead Advertiser the tackle on Raguette was ‘horrible’.

‘It’s a red card tackle and the boy hasn’t even been booked for it.

‘I walked over to make sure Jordon was okay. One of our strikers has then been pushed by their manager. I have grabbed the manager and told him not to push them.

‘I’ve been sent off for headbutting someone. I have never headbutted anybody in my life and I wouldn’t do so.’

Davis said the brawl was ‘inexcusable’ and Peters had ‘put his head to my head’.

He added he felt ‘regretful’ after the match and was ‘sure’ Peters felt the same.

Maidenhead now sit seventh in the National League South table, one point clear of play-off rivals Chesham United.

Slough are sixteenth, having lost three games in a row before the draw with Maidenhead.

Peters, 38, has been Maidenhead’s interim manager since November after Alan Devonshire’s resignation following more than a decade in charge.

He said in December that Devonshire, an FA Cup-winning midfielder with West Ham, had ‘primed me’ for the role.

Maidenhead play Hampton and Richmond at home on Monday while Slough are away to Chesham United on the same day.

Police have made a new arrest over an ‘arson attack’ in Golders Green that saw four Jewish community ambulances set alight.  

The arrest took place at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning, and was announced by prosecutor Emma Harraway during the hearing.   

This comes after two men and one youth appeared at the London court today charged with arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered.

The charges come in connection with the alleged attack on ambulances outside a synagogue in north-west London last week. 

Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, both British nationals from Leyton, and a 17-year-old boy, a dual British and Pakistani national from Walthamstow, were arrested on Wednesday. They were charged on Friday. 

Iqbal and Khan, who is a college student, have been remanded in custody after they were charged with the alleged arson attack that took place in the early hours of March 23. 

The two men appeared at court wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit and spoke only to confirm their name, date of birth and address. As Iqbal was taken to the cells, a member of the public gallery said: ‘Take care son, yeah.’

The 17-year-old boy, also charged with the same offence, was remanded into youth detention accommodation after appearing in court. 

Four ambulances from Hatzola, a volunteer-led ambulance service operating in the Golders Green area of north-west London, were set on fire (pictured) in the early hours of March 23 

Hamza Iqbal (left) and Rehan Khan (right) appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today charged with arson being reckless as to whether life would be endangered

The accused, who were arrested as part of a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation, did not enter pleas. 

Ms Harraway told the court today: ‘There is significant evidence that this was a premeditated and targeted attack against the Jewish community.’

The motivation behind the alleged attack is not yet known, the court heard, which ‘specifically targeted’ the ambulances. 

The incident in north-west London saw vehicles set alight in the early hours of last Monday outside a synagogue in a suspected anti-Semitic hate crime, resulting in £1million worth of damage, Westminster Magistrates Court heard.  

The firebombing caused gas canisters in the ambulances, from the volunteer-led service Hatzola, to explode. 

Two men aged 45 and 47 were arrested in the following days in connection with the incident. They have been released on bail until late April. 

The two British nationals were held by counter terrorism detectives at addresses in north-west London and central London, on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

Police said earlier this week the incident was not ‘at this stage’ declared as terrorism, but due to ‘the circumstances of the incident’ counter terror detectives have been leading the probe.

Pictured: Three hooded suspects approach the vehicles before they are set alight 

It caused gas canisters stored in the vehicles (pictured, in the aftermath) to explode 

The three defendants are set to appear at the Old Bailey on April 24. 

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: ‘Since this appalling attack last week, we have been working continuously to investigate and identify those responsible.

‘The investigation has now reached a stage where three people have been charged and they will now appear in court.’ 

She had previously said: ‘We know concern among the Jewish community remains high, but I hope these arrests show that we are doing everything we can to bring those responsible to justice.

‘As I’ve said previously, the support we had from the local community since this attack took place has been incredible, and we will continue to work closely with local policing colleagues to do everything we can to keep the public safe.’

Six fire engines and 40 firefighters rushed to Highfield Road, near the Mchzike Hadath synagogue, at about 1.45am on March 23. No one was injured.

CCTV footage showed three hooded figures apparently pouring accelerant on the ambulances and setting them on fire.

The head of the Metropolitan Police said after the attack the force was investigating whether an Islamist group with possible Iranian state links was behind the arson.

The incident in north-west London in the early hours of last Monday saw the vehicles set on fire outside a synagogue in a suspected anti-Semitic hate crime. Pictured: The aftermath 

Investigators were looking into claims by a suspected Iran-backed group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia that it had been behind the attack.

A video was posted on Telegram featuring a map of the location where the ambulances were kept and footage of them on fire.

Gas canisters kept in the ambulances exploded after they were set alight, with nearby homes evacuated as a precaution.

The force of the blasts caused windows to break in a nearby block of flats.

The synagogue, which is one of the oldest in Europe, had its roof damaged and stained glass windows smashed in the fire.

The volunteer-run Jewish organisation Hatzola, founded in 1979, provides free emergency medical response and transportation to hospitals.

In the wake of the arson, the Met deployed an additional 264 officers as well as specialist teams including firearms, the mounted branch and drones, to boost security for Jewish communities in the run up to Passover.

Condemning the ‘deeply shocking’ attack, Sir Keir Starmer said in the aftermath: ‘My thoughts are with the Jewish community who are waking up this morning to this horrific news.

‘Antisemitism has no place in our society. Anyone with any information must come forward to the police.’

Gideon Falter, chief executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: ‘We are absolutely heartbroken that this is how low Britain has sunk.

‘This horrific act truly plumbs new depths.’

Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced the four ambulances would be replaced by vehicles from the London Ambulance Service.

Det Chief Supt Luke Williams, who leads policing in North West London said today: ‘We know local community concern continues to remain high – particularly for our Jewish communities as they now enter the Passover festival period.

‘Since the arson attack, we have put in place an enhanced, bespoke policing plan, which has been focused around vulnerable areas not only in Golders Green, but right across London.

‘This has involved a significant number of officers on the ground, with the aim of protecting communities, disrupting offenders, and detecting crime.

‘This activity is ongoing and will continue over the coming days and weeks and includes specialist officers and capability being deployed alongside local officers.

‘It is also being supported by highly visible armed police patrols to serve as a deterrent to anyone seeking to cause our communities harm.’

He described these as ‘precautionary measures and not in response to any specific threat’.

‘We continue to work alongside our colleagues in Counter Terrorism Policing to support their investigation,’ he added.

‘We will also continue to work closely with local communities and our partners to listen to their concerns and respond to these.’