The United States launched military strikes against Iran on Tuesday after Tehran shot down an Apache helicopter of the U.S. Army near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most sensitive areas for global energy trade. The operation was confirmed by the U.S. Central Command, which reported that American forces began “self-defense strikes” at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, by direct order of President Donald Trump.
CENTCOM described the action as a proportional response to what it defined as an unjustified Iranian aggression. According to international reports, the two crew members of the helicopter were rescued alive and are stable, although the incident marked a new escalation in the confrontation between Washington and the Iranian regime.
Trump defended the decision and stated that the United States could not leave the attack on its military aircraft unanswered. In an interview with ABC News, the president asserted that it was “very important to respond” and emphasized that the reaction needed to be strong, in line with his historical deterrence doctrine: to avoid weakness in the face of hostile regimes.
