The U.S. launched strikes on Iran at 5 p.m. E.T. on Tuesday, following the earlier downing of a U.S. helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, Central Command announced.
In its X post announcing the strikes, CENTCOM said they were launched “at the Commander in Chief’s direction” in response to the downing of the helicopter.
“The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression,” CENTCOM’s X post said.
President Donald Trump earlier blamed Iran for downing the helicopter and said it was a “necessity” for the U.S. to respond. But a U.S. official who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity said the helicopter went down after colliding with an Iranian drone. It is unclear if the collision was intentional, the AP reported, and CENTCOM earlier said the cause of the incident is under investigation.
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Julianne McShane is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW who also covers the politics of abortion and reproductive rights. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at jmcshane.19 or follow her on X or Bluesky.
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