U.S. Launches Strikes on Iran in Response to Downed Apache Helicopter

U.S. Central Command said the strikes targeted air-defense and radar sites after two Army crew members were rescued from the downed helicopter.

U.S. Central Command launched "self-defense strikes" against targets inside Iran on Tuesday evening, explicitly acting under the direction of President Donald Trump.
The retaliatory operation commenced at approximately 5:00 p.m. ET, with military officials describing the mission as a "proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression" following the downing of an American helicopter.
Initial field reports indicate the U.S. strikes focused heavily on the Strait of Hormuz region, successfully hitting multiple Iranian radar installations and air defense networks, while local state media reported subsequent explosions on Hormuz and Qeshm islands.
The escalation centers on Monday night's crash of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter off Oman, which Trump publicly insisted was shot down by Iranian forces despite initial military caution regarding the definitive cause.
The sudden military friction severely threatens fragile, back-channel peace talks, happening just as Trump told reporters that a comprehensive regional agreement with Tehran had been in its "final throes" and potentially days away.

Daily News podcast featuring Sarah McInerney and Cormac Ó Headhra.

War against Iran: The Middle East is ablaze again. Officially, the Americans want to "negotiate with bombs". An American helicopter shot down by Iran.