The US has launched strikes on Iran after President Donald Trump accused the country of shooting down a US helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz and vowed to respond.
American forces began strikes at 17:00 EST (22:00 BST) on Tuesday in response to the helicopter downing, US Central Command (Centcom) said.
“The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression, Centcom said in a statement.
The two crew members of the downed US Apache helicopter were rescued by an American sea drone, Centcom said.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
One US official told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that it’s not clear if the drone deliberately attacked the helicopter.
Iranian media appeared to acknowledge the incident, with the semi-official Mehr News Agency reporting that Iran had not claimed responsibility.
