US President Donald Trump launched attacks on Iran on Tuesday, hours after an American Apache attack helicopter was downed near the Strait of Hormuz.US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strike, which it described as a “self-defense” attack, began at 5 p.m. Washington time on Trump’s orders and was intended as a “proportional response” to Iranian aggression. The move came as Trump accused Iran of shooting down the Apaches overnight and said “we will respond to this attack if necessary.”While Trump publicly promised retaliation, he later tried to downplay the helicopter incident, saying it was “no big deal” because the pilots survived. Meanwhile, Iran’s state media, citing military sources, reported that the IRGC also vowed a “decisive response” against “renewed hostilities by the enemy under the pretext of the helicopter crash.”Here are the top developments so far.

US launches ‘self-defense’ strikes against Iran

The US Central Command announced that the US military has launched strikes against Iran at the direction of President Trump.In a statement posted on Twitter, she wrote, “In response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces, at the direction of the Commander in Chief, began launching self-defense strikes against Iran today at 5 p.m. ET. This mission is a proportionate response to unjustified Iranian aggression.” The exact targets of the attacks were not immediately disclosed.

Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz

The tension began when a US Army Apache attack helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz. Initial reports from US officials did not establish the cause of the crash. Officials said it was not clear whether the helicopter was shot down, suffered mechanical failure or had some other problem.However, a US official later said a one-sided Iranian strike drone had shot down the plane, Reuters reported, citing an official speaking on condition of anonymity.

Dramatic rescue of crew by unmanned naval vessel

The two crew members aboard the Apache survived and were rescued, in what US military officials described as the first operation of its kind.The pilots were located by a 24-foot U.S. Navy surface ship after spending about two hours in the water off the coast of Oman, according to CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins.The drone boat recovered the pilots and transported them safely to shore. Military officials said both crew members were in stable condition and did not suffer serious injuries.Trump later confirmed the rescue, saying, “The pilots are OK. No one was injured.”

Trump did not pay much attention to the incident, then vowed to retaliate

Trump initially appeared to downplay the significance of the helicopter’s loss, before publicly blaming Iran.Speaking to reporters before departing New York after attending the NBA Finals game, Trump insisted that the crew members were safe and said a report on the incident would be released later.Trump described the crash as “no big deal”, adding that “the pilot is OK,” The Wall Street Journal reported. He suggested that the circumstances were “more different than you think”.However, a few hours later, Trump took it to Truth Social to express his aggression against the helicopter being shot down.In the post he said he was informed by the US military that Iran had shot down the Apache while it was patrolling 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 on patrol over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both safe and sound. “Nevertheless, the United States must respond to this attack, as necessary.”As the US strikes began, Trump doubled down on his position in an interview with ABC News, confirming that military action was underway and indicating that Washington’s response would be significant.“I think it’s very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we’re responding as we speak,” Trump said. I believe the answer must be very strong, very powerful and that is what it is.

Iran says helicopter was not intentionally targeted

Iran’s deputy foreign minister said the Apaches were not intentionally targeted by Iranian forces, Al Jazeera reported.The official said Tehran was not responsible for deliberately attacking the helicopter, while acknowledging that incidents could have occurred in the highly volatile environment around the Strait of Hormuz.The comments stopped short of directly acknowledging responsibility but suggested that any involvement of Iranian forces may have been incidental rather than part of a deliberate military campaign.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, without explicitly denying that Iranian forces had shot down the helicopter, argued that foreign military forces operating close to Iranian territory faced inherent risks. “Foreign forces near our territory are at constant risk due to their own human errors, simple accidents or potentially being caught in the crossfire,” he wrote on Twitter. To minimize the risk, the best solution is to skip them.In a statement attached to his post, he also emphasized the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, saying, “The Strait of Hormuz is not international waters, but is shared between Iran and Oman.”

IRGC warns against using accident as pretext for attacks

Even though Iranian officials suggested the incident may not have been intentional, Tehran issued a warning against any US military response.Iranian state media quoted military sources as saying that if Washington used the helicopter incident as justification for renewed military action, Iran would respond strongly.According to the report, in the event of renewed “hostilities by the enemy” under the pretext of the Apache crash, Iran will give a “decisive response.”

There is news of explosion in Hormozgan province after US attack

Iranian media reported explosions in several locations within Hormozgan province, which is located on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz. Fars News Agency said explosions were heard in eastern parts of the province, including the areas of Quhestak, Sirik and Minab.The agency also reported air defense activity at some locations, suggesting that Iranian forces may be responding to incoming attacks.Iranian officials did not immediately provide details on possible casualties or damage.