President Donald Trump defended the latest US strikes against Iran, describing the operation as a “very strong” and “very powerful” response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.
US officials said Air Force and Navy fighter jets struck 20 targets inside Iran, including air-defense systems, ground-control stations and surveillance radar installations. CENTCOM said the precision strikes had ended but warned that American forces remain prepared to respond to further Iranian aggression.
The two Apache pilots were rescued in a first-of-its-kind operation involving an autonomous underwater vehicle.
Iran retaliated by claiming attacks against 21 US military targets across the region, including bases in Jordan. The IRGC claimed that F-35 hangars and command facilities at Al-Azraq Air Base were struck, but American officials have not confirmed those assertions. Kuwait also reported that its air defenses were intercepting hostile aerial targets.