The United States said it launched “self-defense” strikes against Iran on June 9 just hours after President Donald Trump said Washington was compelled to respond to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter by Iranian forces over the Strait of Hormuz.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on X that is forces began launching “self-defense” strikes against Iran “in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.”
It gave no further details but Trump told ABC News that it was “a response to what they did they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that’s what this one is.”
The Iranian Fars news agency, which is linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), said explosions were heard in the eastern regions of Hormozgan, while the Mehr news agency reported explosions in the area of Sirik Port.
It added that residents and local sources also reported hearing explosions in the area of Qeshm Island and Jask city.
In a post on Truth Social on June 9, Trump said he had been informed by the US military that “the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters” and that “the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.” He added that the two pilots aboard the aircraft were “safe and uninjured.”
Earlier, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that two crew members had been rescued after an AH-64 Apache helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters.
The US military said the soldiers were recovered within about two hours and were in stable condition, but noted that the cause of the incident remained under investigation.
Before Trump’s post, sources briefed on the matter had told reporters it was unclear whether the helicopter had been hit by Iranian fire, suffered a mechanical failure, or experienced another problem.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the strikes were meant to “test our determination” and that Tehran “will leave no attack or threat unanswered.”
He did not elaborate.
The flareup of attacks come despite Trump saying earlier in the day that the two sides are close to reaching a longer term peace agreement even though there have been few signs of progress since a tenuous cease-fire took effect in early April.
Trump told reporters in the early hours of June 9 that the two parties are in the final stages of a “very, very good deal that will not in any way allow nuclear weapons.”
