Day 103 | Trump vows US response after saying Iran shot down Apache helicopter
US President Donald Trump said the US military informed him that Iran had shot down a US Army Apache helicopter off the coast of Oman. Trump described the incident as a serious escalation, saying the United States "must, of necessity, respond to this attack." He added that both pilots were successfully rescued following the incident.
According to two US officials, the helicopter was reportedly brought down by an Iranian drone. A separate source told CNN that the aircraft was struck by a Shahed drone. One official noted that it remains unclear whether the helicopter was deliberately targeted or unintentionally caught in the drone's path.
In response to the growing tensions, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned foreign military forces operating in the Strait of Hormuz to leave the area. He said those forces would remain at constant risk due to potential human errors, accidents, or the possibility of being caught in crossfire amid the ongoing confrontation.
Meanwhile, 'Israel' launched fresh airstrikes on the southern Lebanese city of Tyre and issued a rare evacuation warning for residents in the city's Christian quarter. The attacks mark a further expansion of military operations in southern Lebanon.
Iran, which backs Hezbollah, warned 'Israel' against continuing its offensive in Lebanon, raising concerns that the conflict could widen further as regional tensions continue to escalate.
Water tanks hit in Sirik amid reported strikes in southern Iran
Iranian state television, citing an informed source, reported that two water tanks in the Bimani area of Sirik, southern Iran, were hit in a direct missile strike.
The report said the incident occurred amid ongoing military escalation and repeated airstrikes reported across parts of Hormozgan province.
No commercial ports hit in Qeshm, water tanks damaged in Sirik: Iranian TV
Iranian state television, citing an informed source, said no commercial ports on Qeshm Island were hit by hostile projectiles amid ongoing reports of strikes in southern Iran.
The report added that water storage tanks in the Bimani area of Sirik were struck, leading to a disruption in drinking water supply in the region.
The claims come as Iranian and US sources continue to report exchanges of strikes across coastal areas in Hormozgan province, with conflicting accounts of the scale and impact of the attacks.
US strikes hit multiple sites along Iran’s southern coast: Iranian officials
Iranian officials said US airstrikes targeted five sites along Iran’s southern coast in the early hours of Wednesday, according to the New York Times.
The officials said the strikes hit military and naval bases, radar installations, and artillery positions across several locations.
The reported targets included naval bases in Sirik and Jask, air-defense systems in Bandar Abbas, and missile batteries on Qeshm Island.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not independently detailed the specific sites, but said it carried out what it described as "self-defense strikes" following recent escalation in the region.
Iran's Araghchi warns US: Will leave no attack or threat unanswered
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a sharp warning to the United States on Wednesday, saying Iran's military would not leave any attack unanswered amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
In a statement posted on social media, Araghchi said Washington had chosen to "test our determination" despite what he described as US setbacks on the battlefield.
"Our powerful armed forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered," he wrote, while urging US forces to "leave our region if you want to be safe."
Araghchi also referenced the history of the Persian Gulf, warning of the "dire fates of intruding outsiders" as military exchanges between Iran and the United States continue to intensify.
Trump says US response is "very strong, very powerful"
US President Donald Trump said the US response to Iran downing a US helicopter is “very strong, very powerful.”
“I think it’s very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak,” Trump told ABC’s Jonathan Karl, who said he was on the phone with the president as US Central Command announced the strikes.
“This is a response to what they did, they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that’s what this one is.”
Trump told the Wall Street Journal earlier Tuesday that the helicopter downing “wasn’t a big deal.”
The two pilots involved are uninjured, Trump said on Truth Social earlier. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he said.
IRGC vows heavy response to US attacks
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on Wednesday that it would launch a direct and "heavy" response to what it described as hostile actions by the United States.
In a brief statement, the IRGC Aerospace Force said retaliation would come "within the next few moments" in response to ongoing US military strikes.
The warning follows US attacks targeting air-defense systems and radar installations in Hormozgan province and Qeshm Island, according to Iranian media reports.
The latest developments mark a sharp escalation in tensions as Washington and Tehran exchange military action in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian state TV says a projectile landed in Sirik, Hormozgan province
Iranian state television confirmed on Wednesday that a projectile landed in the southern coastal city of Sirik in Hormozgan province, following a series of explosions reported across the region.
The incident occurred as the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces had begun launching "self-defense" strikes against Iranian military targets.
According to Washington, the operation was carried out in response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.
Earlier reports from Iranian media said explosions were heard in several areas of Hormozgan province, including Sirik, Minab and Kuhistak, while air-defense systems were activated in parts of the region.
Explosions reported in Iran’s Hormozgan province by Iranian media
Iran's Fars News Agency reported that several explosions were heard in eastern parts of Hormozgan province, including the areas of Kuhistak, Sirik and Minab, on Tuesday evening.
The report said sources also observed air-defense activity in parts of the province, though Iranian authorities have not yet provided an official explanation for the blasts.
The developments came shortly after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that American forces had begun launching what it described as "self-defense strikes against Iran." CENTCOM said the operation was a response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter a day earlier.
US CENTCOM says launched strikes on Iran following downing of helicopter
The US military has launched strikes against Iran in response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
In a statement, CENTCOM said its forces "began launching self-defense strikes against Iran" following what it described as yesterday's attack on the American helicopter.
Meanwhile, Iran's Mehr news agency reported that residents and local sources in Sirik Port and nearby villages heard multiple explosions on Tuesday evening.
Day 102 of the US-‘Israeli’ war on Iran
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Read more: Day 102 | Iran and 'Israel' halt strikes against each other but warn of renewed attacks
