US strikes Iran in response to helicopter shootdown

Sirens warning of an imminent attack were heard in Bahrain for the second time tonight, the country's Interior Ministry said.

Iran took responsibility for launching ballistic missiles and drones in the direction of a US Navy base located in the Gulf country earlier tonight, as well as US army bases in Kuwait and Jordan.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it targeted US army bases in Jordan and Kuwait with drones and missiles in retaliation to the US military's strikes in its territory earlier tonight, Iranian media reported.

According to the reports, the targets included fighter jet hangers and a command center, while also warning any further US attack will be met with a "crushing and decisive" response.

Kuwait's army said its air defenses handled "hostile" aerial targets, with no confirmation from Jordan or the US regarding the Iranian strike in the country.
 

Sirens warning of an imminent attack were heard in Bahrain.

"Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," the country's interior ministry posted on X.

Bahrain is home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet base, with Iran — likely behind the attack — wanting to retaliate for the US military's strikes in its territory from earlier tonight.

The US military said it completed its response to the Iranian downing of an Apache helicopter. 

According to a statement by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the strikes targeted Iranian air defense systems and surveillance radar sites in the Strait of Hormuz area, calling it a "proportional response" to attacks on US forces and international commercial ships.

"US forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression," the statement reads.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said they carried out a drone attack on the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain as a response to the US army's strikes in Iran overnight, Iranian state media reported.

According to the IRGC, the US military strikes damaged a telecommunications tower in the town of Sirik, as well as destroying two water tanks, while also warning a "more severe response" should the strikes continue.

Explosions were heard on Qeshm Island and in the city of Bandar Abbas on Iran's southern coast, near the Strait of Hormuz, as the US reportedly carried out its third wave of attacks on Iranian targets tonight.

In the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz, too, blast sounds were reported by local media.
 

A US official told Axios that a second wave of strikes in Iran is taking place, with reports from Iran saying explosions were heard in the southern Jask region. 

Just like in the first round of strikes that took place earlier tonight, the US army is reportedly targeting air defense and radar systems.
 

Iran Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reacted to the US army's strikes in Iran tonight by saying Tehran will respond.

"Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the U.S. opted to test our determination," Araghchi posted on his X account, adding the US should "leave our region" if it wants to achieve safety.

"(The) History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on (the) dire fates of intruding outsiders," he wrote.
 

The strikes carried out by the US army in Iran targeted several Iranian air defense systems and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported, citing a US official.

According to Fox News, the strikes are still ongoing.
 

Explosions were heard in several areas in Iran following strikes carried out by the US army, according to Iranian media reports.

According to the official Iranian agency Fars, the eastern part of the southwestern Hormozgan province is where the explosions were heard, including in Kuhestak, Sirik and Minab.

The semi-official Mehr agency also reported explosions in Bandar Abbas.
 

The US military carried out strikes in Iran in response to the downing of an American Apache helicopter, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. 

"The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression," CENTCOM said on its official X account.

The strikes came at the direction of US President Donald Trump, according to the post.
 

Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said foreign forces should leave the Strait of Hormuz or run the risk of being caught in the crossfire.

"The Strait of Hormuz is NOT international waters but shared between Iran and Oman, and located thousands of miles away from US shores," said Araghchi in a post on social media platform X.

"Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire," Araghchi said.

"To reduce risk, best solution is for them to leave," Iran's foreign minister added.

His comments come after US President Donald Trump accused Iran of shooting down an Apache gunship in the region.

Trump said that the US would respond to the attack.

US President Donald Trump has accused Iran of shooting down an Apache attack helicopter as it patrolled over the Strait of Hormuz.

"I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

Trump said the two pilots involved were "safe and uninjured" and went on to say that the US would respond.

"Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," Trump said.

The US military previously reported that the helicopter had been "lost at sea" without detailing what caused the gunship to crash.

The US Central Command, responsible for military operations in the Middle East region, said the Apache helicopter gunship crew that crashed were rescued within a couple of hours.

"The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition. The cause of the incident is under investigation," CENTCOM said in a statement. 

CENTCOM said the helicopter had "patrolling regional waters" when it went down near the coast of Oman.

One hundred days after launching military action against Iran, Donald Trump continues to signal optimism about a deal, but fighting and negotiations remain unresolved.

Public opinion in the US appears to be shifting, with frustration growing over inflation, rising prices, and the ongoing conflict.

Critics say economic realities outweigh political messaging. Even some Republicans have backed efforts to limit Trump's powers, raising the stakes ahead of midterm elections.