US military launches 'self-defense' strikes on Iran in response to Apache helicopter shootdown

The US military announced Wednesday that it had launched strikes against Iran in what it described as an act of self-defense.

US Central Command said on its X account that, acting on orders from Commander in Chief Donald Trump, it had begun "self-defense strikes against Iran" at 5 p.m. EDT Wednesday — 6 a.m. Thursday Korean Standard Time.

CENTCOM said the strikes were "in response to the shootdown of a US Army Apache helicopter on Tuesday," describing the operation as "a proportional response to Iran's unjustifiable act of aggression."

The Army Apache was shot down by an Iranian drone strike while on patrol over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday night, according to reports. Both pilots were rescued safely.

Donald Trump subsequently signaled retaliation, writing on his Truth Social account that "the United States has no choice but to respond to this attack."

Following Trump's post, Iranian state media, citing Iranian sources, reported that if the United States resumed hostilities over the helicopter incident, Iran would respond decisively.

Should Iran launch a counterattack, escalating armed conflict between the two countries over the Strait of Hormuz would put the truce that has held since early April to another severe test.