US STRIKES IRAN AFTER APACHE HELICOPTER DOWNED NEAR HORMUZ

The United States has launched military strikes against Iran after Donald Trump blamed Tehran for the loss of a US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command stated that Trump directed the military to begin strikes at 10pm UK time on Tuesday. The strikes followed a ceasefire between the two countries announced in April. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that Iran was responsible for the incident and that Washington could not allow it to go unanswered.

Iran launched retaliatory strikes on Wednesday morning, with Tehran stating it had targeted Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. Iran's Revolutionary Guards reported using long-range missiles to strike the US al-Azraq base in Jordan, while Kuwait said its air defences activated after Iran launched drones towards the Ali Al Salem base near the Iraqi border. Iran said its targets included F-35 fighter jet hangars and a command-and-control centre. US officials told Reuters that nearly all Iranian missiles and drones were intercepted, and Jordan's armed forces said they shot down five missiles before impact. A US official told the Associated Press, on condition of anonymity, that the helicopter collided with an Iranian drone, though whether the collision was intentional remained unclear.

US media, citing White House officials, reported that US Central Command was targeting radar and air defence facilities along the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's foreign ministry warned Gulf neighbours that they held a "legal and moral responsibility" to prevent American and Israeli strikes. US officials also signalled that the United States was not seeking a return to full-scale war with Iran. The official investigation into the helicopter incident remains ongoing.