Trump Orders U.S. Strikes on Iran After Helicopter Downing; Tehran Threatens Retaliation

President Donald Trump ordered U.S. forces to conduct strikes against Iran, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The command stated on the social platform X that these actions were proportionate responses to "unprovoked Iranian aggression," which it claimed included Iran shooting down a U.S. Apache helicopter.

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This mission is a proportionate response to unprovoked Iranian aggression.

CENTCOM announced that U.S. forces launched "self-defense strikes" against Iran at midnight Wednesday (Lithuanian time). The targets were reportedly Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz. The command asserted that the mission was a "proportionate response to unprovoked Iranian aggression."

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Our powerful armed forces will not leave any attack or threat unanswered.

In response, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi threatened retaliation. "Our powerful armed forces will not leave any attack or threat unanswered," he wrote on X. "If you want to be safe, leave our region. The history of the Persian Gulf is full of chapters about the tragic fate of invaders."

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If you want to be safe, leave our region. The history of the Persian Gulf is full of chapters about the tragic fate of invaders.

Iranian media reported explosions in cities like Sirik, near the Strait of Hormuz, and on Qeshm Island. Some reports indicated strikes in the area around Bandar Abbas. In one Sirik district, two water tanks were hit, disrupting drinking water supplies, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency. CENTCOM has not yet provided specific details on the targets or the scale of the attacks.

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They shot down a helicopter, and we are currently responding.