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Trump approves military strikes on Iran after US helicopter shot down in Strait of Hormuz
Relations between the United States and Iran have entered a new phase of escalation, after US President Donald Trump approved attacks on Iranian targets, following information that a US Apache helicopter had been shot down by an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that US forces launched “self-defensive strikes” against Iran around midnight on Tuesday, at the order of President Trump. According to the statement, the operation is a “proportionate response to unprovoked Iranian aggression.”
Media sources report that the target of the American strikes was Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, while explosions have also been reported in Bahrain.
A few hours before the operation began, Trump had downplayed the incident with the Apache helicopter, telling the Wall Street Journal that it was “no big deal” and that the pilots had escaped unharmed. However, after the publication of information that the vehicle had been hit by an Iranian Shahed drone, the US president changed his tone.
"The US must respond to this attack," Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform, stressing that the response would be "very strong."
According to the New York Times and Axios, the Apache helicopter was shot down by an Iranian drone while on patrol in the Strait of Hormuz. The two pilots were later rescued off the coast of Oman by US forces.
On the other hand, Iranian state television, citing military sources, warned that any American attack would be met with a "decisive response."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on foreign forces to leave areas near Iranian territory, saying their presence increases the risk of escalation. “We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we also speak other languages,” he wrote on the social network X.
The latest developments add to the uncertainty surrounding the ceasefire announced on April 8 in the Gulf conflict. Just a few days earlier, Trump had declared that US diplomacy was close to reaching an agreement to stop the fighting.
The current escalation is considered one of the most dangerous moments in the region in recent months, with the risk of the conflict expanding beyond the Strait of Hormuz and involving other regional actors.
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