The United States military begins “self-defense” retaliatory strikes against Iran after Iran downed a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says the strikes start at 5 p.m. ET Tuesday at the direction of the U.S. Commander in Chief. CENTCOM describes the mission as a proportional response to what it calls “unjustified Iranian aggression.” Multiple outlets report that the helicopter went down while on patrol near the coast of Oman, and that the two crew members are safe and uninjured. President Donald Trump publicly linked the incident to Iran and had indicated earlier in the day that the U.S. would respond.
The reports also note that Iranian state media describes explosions heard on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, though details are not fully confirmed in the excerpts provided. One U.S. official cited by a news outlet says a U.S. investigation is examining whether the Apache crashed after colliding with an Iranian drone. Overall, the sources agree on the U.S. retaliation decision, CENTCOM’s framing of proportional self-defense, the timing, and the reported status of the crew.
