US, Iran trade strikes after helicopter downed near Hormuz

The United States has launched retaliatory strikes on Iranian military targets after an American Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Tuesday that it targeted Iranian air defence systems, ground control stations and surveillance radar facilities in the strategic waterway following the incident.

The Apache helicopter was reportedly brought down on Monday while conducting a patrol mission in the Hormuz area.

Confirming the operation, US President Donald Trump told ABC News that Washington was responding to the attack.

“I think it’s very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak,” Trump said.

Earlier, Trump had downplayed the incident in comments to The Wall Street Journal, describing it as “not a big deal” and noting that the pilot was unharmed.

According to US officials, the two crew members aboard the helicopter were rescued by an American sea drone.

CENTCOM described the operation as “self-defence strikes”, but Iran vowed to retaliate.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United States would not go unanswered.

“Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination. Our powerful armed forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered,” Araghchi said.

While he did not directly address the downing of the helicopter, he warned foreign forces to leave the region if they wanted to remain safe.

In a further escalation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed responsibility for attacks on the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and a US airbase in Jordan, saying the strikes were carried out in response to American military action. Kuwait also reported coming under Iranian attack.

The latest developments come amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel. Prior to the US strikes, both countries had exchanged missile attacks in what observers described as the most serious violation of a ceasefire brokered in April.

Although both sides later agreed to halt hostilities following Trump’s call for an immediate ceasefire, they warned that military operations could resume if either side launched fresh attacks.

The fragile truce remains under pressure, with renewed exchanges fuelling fears of a broader regional conflict.