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What recent events have occurred involving U.S. military operations in Iran?
Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Herbst. A U.S. official tells NPR that one member of a two-person crew of an F-15 fighter jet that was shot down over Iran has been rescued, and that the search for the second crew member continues. Multiple videos show what appear to be those efforts, including... Two helicopters and a refueling aircraft flying low over the country.
This, as Iranian state media televised a call-out asking for nomadic tribes and local villagers to target any foreign pilots in the area. They also posted photos of wreckage from a U.S. F-15 jet. Explosions are reported in Iran as the U.S. and Israeli war continues to go on in the country. And Tehran is choking off oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
President Trump wrote online today that, quote, But he said something quite different this week in his national address, telling NATO allies they need to take care of the Strait. NPR's Jackie Northam reports Iran's now saying it will start charging the ships to use the vital waterway through which about a fifth of the world's oil and gases pass.
An Iranian lawmaker says the fee for a ship to pass through the Strait of Hormuz could cost up to $2 million. It will involve government-to-government negotiations, getting permits and transiting through Iranian territorial water. The toll system is still being formalized and currently appears ad hoc.
Analysts say some ships, including those from India, Pakistan and China, have worked out deals diplomatically. Iranian-owned and flagged vessels won't be charged and any ship with links to the U.S. or Israel will not be allowed to pass full stop.
Analysts say it's unlikely a toll system similar to the Suez Canal would get regional buy-in and that opening the strait through diplomacy is still the best answer. Jackie Northam, NPR News.
President Trump says there's a new White House fraud task force that will mostly focus on Democratic-led states. The White House says it's inspired by fraud in Minnesota's state-run social service program. NPR's Danielle Kurtzleben reports it will focus on fraud nationwide.
Trump called Vice President J.D. Vance, who's leading the task force, the fraud czar. He added that while the task force will look for fraud nationwide, it would focus primarily in blue states led by, in Trump's words, crooked Democrat politicians. Trump then listed California, Illinois, Minnesota, Maine and New York as examples.
He also explicitly called out Minnesota for having a large Somali population. Trump created the task force in mid-March. He has made combating fraud a central part of his political message ahead of November's midterms. Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR News, the White House.
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