US-Iran Strikes Escalate After Trump Blames Tehran for Crash

Iran said it had carried out attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait, prompting both countries to activate air-defence systems and issue security alerts. Tehran also claimed to have struck an air base in Jordan that hosts US troops, although neither Washington nor Amman immediately confirmed the attack.

The latest exchange has heightened concerns over regional stability and threatened efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire reached in April after months of conflict.

The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said Air Force and Navy fighter jets struck Iranian air-defence systems, ground-control facilities and surveillance radar sites.

"The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters," CENTCOM said in a statement.

Iran acknowledged that strikes hit areas around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island in southern Iran but provided no immediate details on casualties or damage.

Earlier, Trump said on social media that Iran had shot down a US Army helicopter during a patrol mission over the Strait of Hormuz and said Washington had no choice but to respond.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the accusation and warned that foreign military forces operating near Iranian territory faced increasing risks.

"Iranian forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered," Araghchi wrote on X, adding that foreign forces should leave the region if they wanted to remain safe.

The confrontation came a day after Iran and Israel exchanged fire for the first time since a two-month ceasefire took effect. Iranian state media reported that Israeli strikes killed at least two members of the country's air-defence forces.

The conflict has continued to rattle global markets since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on Feb. 28, contributing to higher energy prices and increased costs for essential goods worldwide.

According to a US official familiar with the investigation, the Army AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed after colliding with an Iranian drone while operating near the Strait of Hormuz.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said investigators had not determined whether the collision was accidental or deliberate. US authorities said the incident remains under investigation.

The helicopter's two crew members were rescued in what CENTCOM described as an unprecedented operation involving an unmanned surface vessel.

The rescue took place about two hours after the aircraft went down off the coast of Oman early Tuesday. Trump said both service members escaped unharmed.

Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesman, said a drone boat located the pilots and transported them to a secure position at sea before they were picked up by a helicopter.

He described the mission as the first known at-sea rescue conducted by a drone vessel in US military history.

The unmanned vessel was a 24-foot Corsair boat built by Saronic Technologies and assigned to the Navy's Task Force 59, a unit specialising in autonomous and AI-enabled maritime security operations across the Middle East.

Apache helicopters have played a key role in US efforts to monitor regional waterways and enforce restrictions on Iranian oil shipments. The aircraft have also been used by the United Arab Emirates to intercept Iranian drones.

Before the latest escalation, Trump had expressed optimism about reaching a nuclear agreement with Iran, though no breakthrough has been announced.

Pakistan has been leading mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran, but major differences remain over Iran's nuclear programme and sanctions relief.

The United States wants Iran to relinquish its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while Tehran insists on sanctions relief and access to frozen assets before any final agreement can be reached.

Meanwhile, tensions involving the Iran-backed Hezbollah group remain a major concern for Tehran.

Lebanese Army chief Gen. Rodolphe Haykal visited Pakistan on Tuesday and met Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has played a central role in mediation efforts between Iran and the United States.

The visit came as Lebanon's government adopts a tougher stance on Hezbollah while continuing to struggle with disarming the powerful armed group.

Hezbollah on Tuesday thanked Iran for attacking Israel "in defence of our Lebanese people" and suggested Beirut should seek closer ties with Tehran.