The U.S. military said on Wednesday that American forces have completed their strikes against Iran.
It added that forces under the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) targeted Iranian air defense systems, ground-control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States announced the strikes on Tuesday in response to Iran’s downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter on Monday, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said negotiators had reached the final stages of talks aimed at securing an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East.
In a post on X, United States Central Command stated that U.S. forces began “self-defense strikes against Iran at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time today, under the direction of the Commander-in-Chief, in response to the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter yesterday,” adding that the mission was “a proportionate response to unprovoked Iranian aggression.”
Explosions were reportedly heard in eastern Hormozgan Province.
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump accused Iran of shooting down the U.S. helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. On his Truth Social platform, he wrote that he had been informed by the military that an advanced Apache helicopter had been brought down during a patrol mission, adding that both pilots were safe and unharmed.
Following CENTCOM’s announcement, Trump told ABC News that the operation was a response to “what they did to our helicopter last night,” describing the retaliation as “very strong.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that foreign forces deployed in the region are always at risk of becoming caught in crossfire. In a post on X, he noted that the Strait of Hormuz is not international waters but is jointly shared by Iran and Oman and lies thousands of miles from U.S. shores.
He added that Iran’s armed forces remain on high alert against any violation of the country’s airspace, territory, or waters, warning that foreign military forces operating near Iran could become victims of human error, accidents, or exchanges of fire.
Despite the escalation, Trump said earlier on Tuesday that negotiations were nearing completion and that a “very good agreement” could be reached within two or three days.
Iran has continued to insist that any agreement with Washington must include a halt to the war in Lebanon, while Israel maintains that the two issues should remain separate and insists on continuing military operations against Hezbollah.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that Tehran prefers diplomacy but is prepared to respond through other means if commitments are not honored.
The latest developments come amid ongoing exchanges of fire between Iran and Israel, alongside intensified diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
AFP
