U.S. forces launched strikes against Iranian military targets Tuesday after President Donald Trump blamed Tehran for downing a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, escalating tensions despite ongoing negotiations aimed at securing a broader agreement between Washington and Tehran.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces began carrying out “self-defense strikes” at President Trump’s direction at approximately 5 p.m. Eastern time in response to Monday’s downing of the helicopter, describing the operation as “a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.”
U.S. officials said the strikes targeted Iranian radar, air-defense, and command-and-control infrastructure around the Strait of Hormuz as the administration sought to respond to the incident while signaling that it does not intend to abandon ongoing diplomatic efforts with Tehran.
As the operation unfolded Tuesday evening, Axios reported that a second round of U.S. strikes was underway targeting additional Iranian air-defense and radar systems.
Trump announced Tuesday that Iran had shot down the Apache while it was patrolling near the strategic waterway and said a response was necessary.
“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
As CENTCOM announced the operation, Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl that the response was already underway.
“I think it’s very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak,” Trump said.
“This is a response to what they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that’s what this one is.”
U.S. officials later said the Pentagon’s assessment determined that an Iranian drone struck the Apache near the Strait of Hormuz, though investigators have not yet concluded whether the aircraft was intentionally targeted.
The helicopter went down off the coast of Oman during patrol operations in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The two crew members were recovered unharmed approximately two hours later in what officials described as the first operational rescue involving a U.S. drone boat.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said the recovery operation involved the Navy’s Task Force 59 unmanned systems unit, which used an unmanned surface vessel to help locate and recover the crew. The Wall Street Journal reported that one senior U.S. official described the crew’s survival as a “hand of God” moment.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was in the White House Situation Room alongside President Trump and senior national security officials before the operation. Johnson described the strikes as “proportional and limited” and said they targeted Iranian radar, missile, and command-and-control sites.
The administration has simultaneously sought to emphasize that the operation was intended as a limited response rather than the beginning of a broader escalation. A U.S. official told CNN the strikes were intended as a “warning shot,” while another official told Axios that Washington does not expect the operation to derail ongoing negotiations with Tehran.
Iranian officials quickly threatened retaliation.
“Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the U.S. opted to test our determination,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is also serving as one of Tehran’s principal negotiators in talks with Washington, wrote on X.
“Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered.”
Araghchi further warned the United States to “Leave our region if you want to be safe,” adding that the Persian Gulf’s history contains “many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders.”
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Force issued a similar warning, declaring that “soon, a heavy response will be given to the enemy’s hostile actions.”
Iranian state media reported explosions in Hormozgan Province, including around Qeshm Island and areas near the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after CENTCOM announced the operation.
Despite the exchange, both Washington and Tehran have continued signaling that negotiations remain active.
Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with CBS News recorded before the strikes that the administration remains “very close” to reaching an agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program.
“Look, I think that the deal could happen in the next week, but the deal could also happen months from now,” Vance said.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
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