US launches fresh strikes on Iran after Apache Helicopter downing

The United States has launched a new wave of military strikes against Iran in retaliation for the downing of a US Army Apache attack helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Washington and Tehran.

The strikes, carried out on Tuesday evening by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), targeted Iranian air defence and radar installations around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to US officials.

President Donald Trump described the operation as a “very strong, very powerful” response to what he called an act of Iranian aggression.

“I think it’s very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak,” Trump told reporters, stressing that the United States would not allow attacks on its military assets to go unanswered.

The latest military action followed Monday’s incident in which a US Army Apache helicopter crashed off the coast of Oman. While initial reports suggested the aircraft may have suffered a technical malfunction, US officials later disclosed that an Iranian-made Shahed drone struck the helicopter.

Both crew members were successfully rescued by an unmanned US drone boat and escaped without injuries.

CENTCOM described the attacks as “self-defence strikes” and a “proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.”

A US official said the operation was intended as a warning to Tehran and was not expected to derail ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending hostilities between the two countries.

Iran, however, responded swiftly.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it had launched missiles and drones at US targets in the region, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that no American attack would 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 in a statement.

Iranian media reported explosions in the southern coastal cities of Sirik, Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island shortly after the US strikes commenced.

State television also claimed that two water reservoirs were hit during the attacks, disrupting water supplies in parts of southern Iran.

Despite the renewed hostilities, the Trump administration continues to express optimism about a possible diplomatic breakthrough.

Vice President JD Vance said Washington was “very close” to securing a deal with Tehran, while Trump maintained that negotiations to end the conflict remain on track despite the latest military exchange.