U.S. strikes Iran after Iranian drone downs Apache helicopter near Hormuz Strait

U.S. forces launched strikes against Iran June 9 after President Donald Trump said Iranian forces shot down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said an AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down while patrolling regional waters near Oman June 8. The military said the pilot and gunner were rescued within about two hours and were not injured.

Capt. Tim Hawkins, a CENTCOM spokesman, said a U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessel helped locate the crew before they were hoisted aboard a helicopter. The military said the incident remained under investigation.

Trump said June 9 on Truth Social that Iran had shot down the helicopter.

"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. "There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack."

Hours later, CENTCOM announced that U.S. forces had begun what it described as self-defense strikes against Iran.

"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief's direction, in response to yesterday's downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter," CENTCOM stated. "The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression."

Iran denied deliberate responsibility for the incident. Iranian officials said Tehran was not responsible and suggested such events could occur unintentionally amid heightened military activity in the region.

The extent of damage from the U.S. strikes and the specific targets were not immediately clear.