Washington: The United States has completed military strikes against Iranian targets after an American Army Apache helicopter was allegedly shot down near the Strait of Hormuz, with US Central Command (CENTCOM) describing the operation as a self-defence response ordered by President Donald Trump.
Announcing the action, CENTCOM said American forces had completed strikes on Iranian military infrastructure on June 9 in response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter a day earlier.
“US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces completed self-defense strikes against Iran, June 9, at the Commander in Chief’s direction in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter,” the military said in a statement.
CENTCOM said US Air Force and Navy fighter jets used precision-guided munitions to target Iranian air defence systems, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.
“CENTCOM forces struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter jets,” the statement said.
The military described the operation as a proportional response to recent attacks on US forces and international commercial ships operating in regional waters.
Earlier, President Trump said Iran had shot down one of America’s advanced Apache helicopters while it was patrolling over 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 patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote in a social media post.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he added.
The latest military action followed an earlier Pentagon statement reporting that an AH-64 Apache helicopter had gone down near the coast of Oman on June 8. At the time, the military said the cause of the incident was under investigation and did not specify whether hostile action was involved.
The two crew members were rescued within approximately two hours during an operation led by US Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from Air Force and Navy units.
Tuesday’s strikes marked the first publicly announced US military action directly linked to the Apache incident and signalled a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Following the operation, CENTCOM said US forces remained vigilant and prepared to respond to any further threats in the region.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 per cent of global oil supplies pass, is one of the world’s most strategically important waterways, making any military escalation in the region a matter of global concern.
IANS
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