The confrontation between the United States and Iran has escalated sharply, with military strikes and retaliatory attacks raising fears of a wider conflict. The incident underscores the fragile state of relations between the two nations and the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global oil supply route.
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US Retaliation After Helicopter Downing
The United States announced that it had launched airstrikes in Iran in retaliation for the downing of its Apache helicopter by Iran.
In a statement on X, the US Central Command (Centcom) said that since 16:00 GMT, it had launched airstrikes against Iran in self-defence and in response to the downing of its aircraft.
The message read: “US forces in the Middle East have launched defensive strikes against Iranian targets since 10:00 [4:00 PM GMT], following orders from the Supreme Commander, in response to yesterday’s attack on a US aircraft. This strike is in response to Iran’s baseless provocations.”
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Explosions Reported Across Southern Iran
Iranian media reported hearing the sound of missiles in the Persian Gulf in the Bandar Abbas, Qeshm, and Sirik regions.
President Donald Trump told ABC News that Iran would face consequences for its actions.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told Al Jazeera that there was no planned attack by Iran on US aircraft in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran Denies Responsibility, Claims Retaliatory Attacks
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it had retaliated by launching attacks on US bases in Jordan and Bahrain, causing significant damage.
Trump wrote, “I have been informed by our powerful military that last night [Monday] the Iranians shot down one of our Apache helicopters while it was conducting security checks in the Strait of Hormuz.”
The official added that the United States would respond to the attack no matter what.
The US Department of Defence said that on Monday, June 7, 2026, a US military aircraft with two pilots on board was shot down, but the pilots were rescued alive, and that the drones were involved.
Iran has not claimed responsibility for the downing of the aircraft, but has repeatedly said that anything it sees in the Strait of Hormuz will be shot down without authorisation.
Strait of Hormuz Crisis Raises Global Oil Supply Concerns
The US military has been blocking the Strait of Hormuz since February, when it launched a major attack on Iran.
Iran also decided to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which much of the world’s oil passes. The Americans have deployed aircraft and warships to the waterway in an attempt to gain control of the waterway, and its closure has posed a threat to the world, mainly due to the lack of oil products that pass through it.
