&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US strikes Iran as Trump vows 'very powerful' response over Apache helicopter downing")
The United States on Tuesday said its forces had launched what it described as "self-defence" strikes against Iran following the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter, marking a fresh escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
In a statement posted on X, the White House said US Central Command forces began military operations at 5 p.m. ET at the direction of President Donald Trump.
"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defence strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief's direction, in response to yesterday's downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression," the statement said.
US military forces attacked several Iranian air defence batteries and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported, citing senior officials.
The development comes after Trump accused Iran of shooting down a US Army AH 64 Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and vowed that Washington "must respond" to the incident.
Speaking to ABC News moments before CENTCOM announced strikes, the US president said that he believes the response should be very strong, very powerful.
"I think it's very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak."
"I believe in responding in a strong manner. I always have throughout my life. And we have a deal that was very good, and probably will [still be]," the president continued. "This is a response to what 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," Trump quoted as saying by ABC.
(Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos. )
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