U.S. military strikes Iran after American helicopter is shot down

The U.S. military began strikes in Iran overnight, between Tuesday and Wednesday, in response to the downing of an Apache helicopter. According to a statement from U.S. Central Command, the strikes were “defensive and proportional.” Reports from Iran said explosions were heard near the port of Sirik in the country’s south and on Qeshm Island.

Last night, U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran was responsible for shooting down the American helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump warned, “We will have to respond.” The two pilots on board survived. “I have just been informed by our great military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our most sophisticated Apache helicopters while it was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “There were two pilots in the helicopter. Both are safe and unharmed. However, the United States must, by force of circumstances, respond to this attack. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The American helicopter was shot down during the night in the Strait of Hormuz area. At first, the cause of the crash was not clear, and U.S. authorities addressed the incident only after reports in various media outlets. A review by the U.S. military found that an Iranian drone was what struck the helicopter. The pilots were forced to bail out, and the U.S. military did not know what had happened to them. After a search that lasted about two hours, they were located with the help of an advanced naval drone and taken to hospital with minor injuries. According to a senior U.S. official, it is not clear whether the hit on the helicopter was intentional. Sources familiar with the matter told the New York Times in the morning that the Apache helicopter “fell” near the Strait of Hormuz during operational activity in the area. During the years of war, the Americans have lost several aircraft in Iran. However, most fell due to operational malfunctions and accidents.

In Iran, threats followed: “We will respond strongly”

The speaker of Iran’s parliament, Kalibaf, tweeted in response to Trump’s threat, “We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we speak other languages much more quickly. Break your commitments, and we will switch to speaking in what we know best. You are riding the horse you wore!”

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, indirectly referred to the downing of the helicopter on his X account. “Foreign forces near our territory are constantly at risk due to human error, simple accidents, or the potential to be caught in crossfire,” he wrote. “To reduce the risk, the best solution is for them to leave.” At the same time, a senior Iranian official told Al Jazeera, “We will respond strongly and immediately to any American strike against Iran.” An Iranian lawmaker also threatened, “If the Americans intend to violate the ceasefire or launch any aggression, Iran will not hesitate to defend itself. All American military bases in the region are within our defensive capabilities, and Iran will respond firmly and decisively to any threat if the enemy dares.”

Chief of Staff’s warning to Iran

Earlier today, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited commander training exercises in the north. He referred to the short round of fighting with Iran and said, “The Iranian attempt to set equations and change reality will fail. The strike we carried out in Iran was preparation for a much more significant and heavy blow.”

He added, “We will continue to act and intensify the damage to the Hezbollah terrorist organization and defend the communities of the north. The IDF is alert and will act forcefully wherever we identify a threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”

“The IDF has maintained, and continues to maintain, immediate readiness to return to fighting in Iran,” the Chief of Staff added. “All of our defense and attack systems were alert and ready. We intercepted the threats fired at us and attacked in Iran quickly and forcefully. We are ready to return and inflict another hard and deep blow on Iran.”