The United States carried out a series of bombings against Iranian territory this Tuesday (9). The action was in retaliation for the downing of an Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz region, which occurred the previous day.
In response, Iran attacked the US Fifth Naval Fleet, which is stationed in Bahrain, according to Iranian state media reports.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard described its reaction as “forceful”, while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared that “no attack will go unanswered” and suggested that Americans “leave the region if they want to stay safe”.
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of having shot down the US helicopter.
US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed the start of “self-defense” attacks against Iran, at 5pm ET (6pm Brasília time), under orders from Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump. Centcom described the mission as a “proportionate response to unjustified Iranian aggression.”
Centcom later detailed that the targets included Iranian air defenses, control stations and radars monitoring the Strait of Hormuz.
Hours before the bombings, Donald Trump had already publicly accused Iran of shooting down the helicopter and promised a response. He told broadcaster ABC that the retaliation should be “very strong, very powerful — and that’s what it is.”
A US official told the website Axios that US forces struck several air defense and radar systems in the Strait of Hormuz region, a strategic sea lane for the global oil trade.
Iranian state news agencies such as Irib, Isna and Mehr reported attacks on the islands of Qeshm and Hormuz, as well as the southern cities of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Kohstak and Minab. However, the origin of the attacks was initially described as “unknown”.
Minutes after the American offensive, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reaffirmed its warning that “just as we warned hours before, Iran will deliver a forceful response to US aggression.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reinforced that the country “will not leave any attack or threat unanswered.”
It is not yet clear how this new escalation will impact the fragile ceasefire in force since the beginning of April, nor the ongoing negotiations to end the conflict. A US official told CNN International that Tuesday’s attack served as a warning to Iran and that the Trump administration believes it will harm peace talks.
Even with retaliation, the US continues to seek a resolution to the conflict. Trump had declared on Monday that negotiations for an agreement were “in the final phase”. The truce was recently violated by Israel and Iran in an exchange of bombings that was also criticized by Trump. Analyst Guga Chacra, from GloboNews, considered the US bombing a “calibrated and proportional response” to the downing of the helicopter.
Apache helicopter crash in Hormuz
The US Apache helicopter was operating in the Strait of Hormuz region when it crashed around 6:30 pm on Monday. US Army Central Command reported that the two crew members were rescued in stable condition about two hours after the incident.
Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for the ministry, explained that the rescue of the soldiers was carried out in the water using an unmanned maritime drone. The specific model of the equipment was not revealed, only that it is around seven meters long.
The exact cause of the helicopter crash remains under investigation by the U.S. Army. A US military official told the Associated Press (AP) news agency on Tuesday afternoon that the Apache AH-64 was shot down by an Iranian Shahed drone, but the investigation has not yet determined whether the attack was intentional.
This would be the first US loss of an Apache helicopter during the war in the Middle East, which began on February 28. The takedown marks a significant escalation in the nature of the assets affected, as previous losses in the region have focused on drones, posing a greater risk to frontline equipment and personnel.
The AH-64 Apache is recognized as the U.S. Army’s premier attack helicopter and one of the most advanced in the world. It entered service in 1984, capable of reaching speeds of up to 365 km/h, and can be equipped with up to 22 precision missiles and 76 unguided rockets, in addition to rapid-fire cannons, giving it considerable firepower in operations.
