Updated June 9, 2026 at 5:52 PM CDT
The U.S. has begun striking Iran in response to Monday's downed helicopter, the military said Tuesday.
The strikes, which began at 5 p.m., are a "proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression," U.S. Central Command said on social media.
President Trump announced the intent to strike earlier in the day, saying the U.S. "must" respond to Iran's attack on the US Apache helicopter.
"I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
"Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," Trump said.
In response to the latest U.S. strikes, Iran's foreign minister said: "Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered."
Last week, Trump was asked about a report that his red line for ending the tenuous ceasefire with Iran would be if American troops were killed and he said: "It would be a good reason, I'd be honest with you."
The incident shows the high-stakes nature of Trump's current position - trying to navigate an end to the war that is straining global economies and tanking his popularity, while ensuring American military credibility.
Iran's parliament speaker posted on X after Trump's statement on a U.S. response:
"We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we speak other languages far more fluently. Break your commitments, and we'll switch to what we speak best," Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf said.
It's unclear what this means for the overall ceasefire that's been in effect since April. Both sides have continued peace talks despite several flare ups in the region, including recent Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
But the talks haven't resulted in any movement toward a deal, despite Trump repeatedly saying one is close.
"I think it's going well," he said of the negotiations late Monday night, adding a peace deal could come within two to three days.
"We have a good chance of doing it. We should be able to do it in one hour … I don't think there are sticking points," he said.
Copyright 2026 NPR
