WASHINGTON, June 10: US forces carried out strikes against Iran on Wednesday in what President Donald Trump described as retaliation for the downing of an American Apache helicopter a day earlier, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
Iranian media reported at least two waves of explosions along the country’s southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which a significant share of global oil shipments pass. Digital outlet Axios reported that US strikes targeted Iranian air defence and radar installations in the region.
Following the strikes, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned of retaliation, saying no attack would go “unanswered.” In a post on X, he also cautioned foreign forces operating near the Strait of Hormuz, describing the area as highly sensitive and warning of “constant risk” of being caught in crossfire.
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The US strikes came hours after President Trump said Iran had shot down a US Army Apache helicopter and that Washington would respond strongly. “I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful,” he said in a telephone interview with ABC News.
CENTCOM said US forces “began launching self-defence strikes against Iran at 5 pm ET on the direction of the Commander in Chief,” calling the operation a proportional response to what it described as Iranian aggression.
The Apache helicopter incident marks the second confirmed loss of a US crewed aircraft in the broader regional conflict, following the downing of an F-15 fighter jet in April, according to US officials cited in earlier reports.
CENTCOM said both crew members of the helicopter were rescued after the incident near the coast of Oman and are in stable condition.
The latest escalation comes amid already heightened tensions in West Asia, with repeated exchanges of fire in recent months and fragile ceasefire arrangements repeatedly tested by renewed hostilities.
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