Trump says Iran shot down Apache helicopter, US must react

The United States launched fresh strikes against Iran on Tuesday, prompting retaliation from Tehran, which targeted a major US naval base in Bahrain and an airbase in Jordan.

It came just hours after US President Donald Trump vowed to retaliate for what he described as the hostile downing of an American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

The escalation tested a fragile US-Iran ceasefire that had taken effect on April 8 as both sides negotiate terms to end the war, which also involves Israel.

The US Central Command said it began carrying out “self-defence strikes” against Iran at 5pm Eastern Time (5am on Wednesday in Hong Kong), describing the operation as a “proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression”.

According to the military, US Air Force and US Navy fighter jets used precision-guided munitions to hit Iranian air-defence systems, ground-control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, but gave no details on the damage.