US military retaliates, launches strikes against Iran

The United States military has initiated what it calls “self‑defense strikes” against Iran after a U.S. Army Apache helicopter was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday that American forces began the operations at about 5 p.m. ET. The action was taken under the direction of the Commander‑in‑Chief and in response to what CENTCOM described as “Iranian aggression.”

CENTCOM said the strikes were a “proportional response” to the incident involving the helicopter, which was reportedly downed during a patrol mission in the strategic waterway.

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self‑defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM wrote on X.

The decision follows remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who confirmed that he had been briefed by the military and said the helicopter was hit overnight.

Trump added that the two pilots on board survived the incident without injuries and pledged that the United States would respond.