Washington: The US launched strikes against Iran in response to the downing of an Army Apache helicopter off the coast of Oman, according to a statement from US Central Command. President Donald Trump called the response “very strong, very powerful.”
Iran has launched missiles and drones toward US targets in the region, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a social media post.
Local residents heard a “number of explosions” in the coastal city of Sirik, according to Iran’s semi-official Mehr News Agency. Explosions were also heard in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm, which border the Strait of Hormuz, Mehr reported.
Two US officials said the helicopter was brought down by an Iranian drone, with a separate source telling CNN it was a Shahed drone. One of the officials said it was unclear whether the helicopter was intentionally targeted.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said that no attack from the United States will be left “unanswered” after the US launched a new wave of retaliatory strikes on Iran following the downing of a military helicopter.
“Leave our region if you want to be safe,” the foreign minister warned.
The statement came after the US carried out initial strikes targeting Iranian air defense and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz, two sources told CNN.
