Key facts
- US Central Command forces launched self-defense strikes against Iran.
- The strikes followed the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter.
- The US described the action as a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.
- Explosions were heard in Iran's Hormozgan province.
The United States launched strikes against Iran on Tuesday after President Donald Trump said Tehran had shot down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command stated its forces initiated the strikes in self-defense, describing the action as a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression. The two U.S. pilots involved in the incident were rescued after two hours, with President Trump stating they were uninjured. A U.S. official indicated the helicopter was downed by an Iranian attack drone. Iran's state media, however, cited a military source denying offensive air operations in the Strait of Hormuz. In a separate development, Israel struck the port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, killing at least eight people.