Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world. US bureau chief Jacob Magid joins host Jessica Steinberg for today's episode. US President Donald Trump celebrated the rescue operation for a downed US airman in Iranian territory, reports Magid, offering new details of the daring operation that included significant sabotage against Iranian forces, and a contingency plan in which the rescue teams had to assemble helicopters on the spot. It's crunch time for talks with Iran, Magid discusses, as Trump offered a deadline with his threat to blow up every bridge and power plant on Tuesday night if Iran doesn't accept the US proposal for a deal and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. A Friday deadline also looms for Hamas with a phased disarmament plan over eight months, says Magid, as Nikolai Mladenov, the High Representative for the Board of Peace, issued his own ultimatum to the terrorist group. Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates. For further reading: Trump recounts rescue of 2 downed airmen in Iran: ‘We could have ended up with 100 dead, as opposed to one or two’ Downed US airman said to have directed strikes on Iranian positions from hiding place Trump: US has plan to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran Tuesday night if no deal Hamas given until week’s end to accept disarmament proposal — sources Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht. IMAGE: A tall plume of smoke billows from a fire next to Azadi Tower (C) following strikes near Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on March 7, 2026 (Atta Kenare/AFP)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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