CENTCOM Begins Self-Defense Strikes Against Iran After Investigation Links Tehran to Apache Attack
By The Media Line Staff
US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday that American forces had begun military strikes against Iran following the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement posted on X, CENTCOM said the operation began at 5 p.m. ET under orders from President Donald Trump.
“US Central Command forces began launching self-defense 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 announcement came hours after President Trump stated that the United States would respond after military investigators concluded that Iran had brought down the helicopter.
Writing on Truth Social, President Trump said he had been briefed on the findings by military officials.
“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,” President Trump wrote.
The president said both crew members survived the incident.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
The Apache crashed Monday night near the Strait of Hormuz. Two sources cited by The New York Times said the two crew members were rescued without injuries.
Immediately after the incident, uncertainty remained over whether the helicopter had been lost because of hostile action or a technical malfunction. President Trump publicly addressed the crash shortly afterward, and a subsequent investigation determined that Iran had targeted the aircraft.
The helicopter went down during a period in which fighting between Iran and Israel had paused following a recent escalation.
No details were released regarding the helicopter’s assignment at the time it was struck.
According to information published on the US Central Command website, Apache helicopters are used for a variety of military missions, including precision strikes, close air support and aerial reconnaissance.
Neither CENTCOM nor President Trump provided details regarding the targets of the strikes announced Tuesday or how long the operation was expected to continue.
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