Iran fires missiles and drones in response to US airstrikes
The United States and Iran resumed armed conflict Wednesday after an American Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a cycle of retaliatory strikes. The exchange came as the two sides were in the final stages of nuclear negotiations, plunging truce and end-of-war talks into serious jeopardy once again.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran had shot down a US Army Apache helicopter and warned of retaliation. CENTCOM announced on its X account that, acting on orders from the commander in chief, it launched "defensive strikes against Iran" beginning at 5 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday — 6 a.m. Korean Standard Time Wednesday. The command said the operation was "in response to the shootdown of a US Army Apache helicopter on Tuesday" and described it as "a proportional response to Iran's unjustifiable act of aggression." The two pilots who ejected from the helicopter were rescued safely by the US Navy's AI-equipped unmanned surface vessel Corsair.
Iran struck back almost immediately after the US airstrikes. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a Telegram statement early Wednesday that it had launched missiles and drones at American targets in the region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that Iran would "respond to any attack without fail," adding that "the United States has been defeated on the battlefield yet has chosen to test our resolve." His remarks signaled Tehran's readiness to keep retaliating.
yckim6452@heraldcorp.com
