US Conducts Strikes on Iran After Apache Helicopter Downed Near Strait of Hormuz

The United States military has conducted strikes on targets inside Iran, according to U.S. Central Command. The operation, ordered by President Donald Trump, was launched at 17:00 Eastern Time as a defensive response after an American Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said two military personnel were rescued following the incident and their condition is stable. CENTCOM described the strikes as a proportional response to unjust Iranian aggression. Iranian media reported explosions in the Qeshm, Sirik, Minab and Bandar Abbas areas. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi did not claim responsibility for downing the helicopter, saying foreign forces operating in the region are exposed to the risk of accidents or conflict. The strikes occurred during a sensitive period of U.S.-Iran negotiations, facilitated by Pakistan, that have covered both the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program.