US strikes Bandar Abbas, Sirik and Jask after Iran downs Apache helicopter over Strait of Hormuz | Today’s news
The United States military launched retaliatory strikes against Iran on Tuesday evening after a US Army Apache helicopter was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz, with US forces targeting radar facilities and infrastructure in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province as President Donald Trump ordered a response and Iran’s foreign minister warned that no attack would go unanswered.
Why the US hit Iran: an Apache helicopter was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz
An Iranian one-way attack drone shot down a US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter at around 3 a.m. on Tuesday as the aircraft was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told Reuters. Trump said the Iranians shot down one of “our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters” while patrolling the waterway. Two crew members were subsequently rescued by a naval drone in an operation described by the military as the first of its kind; both are in stable condition.
The U.S. Central Command announced the retaliatory operation at 5 p.m. ET, calling it a self-defense action taken at the direction of the commander-in-chief.
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at the Commander in Chief today at 5:00 p.m. ET in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportionate response to Iran’s unauthorized aggression,” the U.S. military said in a statement.
Kouhestak, Sirik, Minab and Bandar Abbas were among the affected areas in Iran’s Hormozgan province
Iran’s state-run Mehr and Fars news agencies reported explosions at several locations in Hormozgan province in southern Iran. The named areas included Kouhestak, Sirik, Minab and the coastal city of Bandar Abbas. The agencies noted that the exact locations of the explosions have not yet been confirmed.
Iranian state media said no commercial port facilities on Qeshm Island were hit in the latest round of attacks. The report also said that two water reservoirs in Sirik were hit, cutting off the supply of drinking water to the surrounding area. CBS News, citing two US officials, said radar sites were among the targets of Tuesday evening’s strikes.
The sounds of the explosion were heard near Jask and across Iran’s southern coastal areas
The sounds of an explosion were heard again near the southern Iranian city of Jask, the Mehr news agency reported, citing local sources and residents. The cause of the reported explosions in Jasko was not immediately confirmed.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister said the Apache helicopter was not deliberately targeted
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Al Jazeera that the helicopter that descended over the Strait of Hormuz was not deliberately aimed at Iran. Nevertheless, the incident severely strained the two-month-old truce between Washington and Tehran, which came just a day after Iran and Israel exchanged fire for the first time since the fragile truce took effect.
Iran’s foreign minister warns that no attack on Iran will go unanswered
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz lies “thousands of miles away from American shores,” questioning the basis of the American military presence in the area.
“Foreign forces near our territory are at constant risk due to their own human error, simple accidents or potentially being caught in the crossfire,” Araghchi wrote. “To reduce the risk, the best solution is to leave.”
After Tuesday’s US attacks, Araghchi issued another statement on X, saying Iran’s armed forces would not leave “any attack or threat unanswered.”
“If you want to be safe, leave our region,” he wrote.
The White House says a peace deal with Iran is close despite Tuesday’s strikes
Despite the military exchange, the White House has indicated that diplomatic channels remain open. Politico quoted a senior White House official as saying Trump still believes a peace deal with Iran is within reach.
“There is no change in where the deal stands right now,” the official said, adding that a deal remains “still close.”
