The US launched an attack on Iran. Retaliation for the shooting down of a helicopter over Hormuz
The United States has launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on social media. Earlier, Donald Trump accused Tehran of shooting down an American helicopter off the coast of Oman and announced that the US “must respond to this attack.”
See also: Donald Trump threatens. “The United States must respond to the attack”
US resumes attacks on Iran
The strikes began at 5 p.m. EST, the post said, and are “in response to yesterday's downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.”
The command described the strikes as “self-defense attacks.” The scale and intensity of the US attacks are not yet clear, although the Central Command post described them as a “proportionate response to unjustified Iranian aggression.”
Shooting down a US helicopter. Donald Trump: we must respond
Earlier on Tuesday, Donald Trump announced the US response to this incident.
“I have just received information from our Great Military that the Iranians shot down one of our highly advanced Apache helicopters last evening while on patrol over the Strait of Hormuz. Two pilots were involved in the incident, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Before the downing of the helicopter, which Trump blamed on Iran, the US president continued to claim that peace was imminent despite continued Israeli bombing of Lebanon.
According to CNN, two US officials said the helicopter was shot down by an Iranian drone, and another source told CNN it was a Shahed drone. One official said it was unclear whether the helicopter was shot down intentionally.
Donald Trump: a strong and decisive response
— I think this is very important to answer. They shot down a helicopter and we're responding to it right now,” Trump told ABC News.
— This is a reaction to what they did to our helicopter last night. I believe that the response should be very decisive, very strong, and that is exactly what it is, added the president.
A US official told Fox News that the strikes are ongoing and their targets include Iranian air defense systems and radar installations.
Iranian media reported the sounds of explosions heard in the south of the country.
Source: CNN, PAP
