The United States said it has completed a series of retaliatory strikes against Iranian assets following the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter, while Iran responded by launching missiles and drones toward American-linked targets in the Gulf, raising fresh concerns over regional stability even as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remain on track.
The US military's Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces carried out precision strikes against Iranian air defence systems, ground control stations and surveillance radar facilities near the Strait of Hormuz, describing the operation as a "proportional response" to recent attacks on US forces and international shipping in regional waters.
"CENTCOM forces struck Iranian air defence, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter jets," the command said in a statement posted on X.
The strikes came after an Apache helicopter was brought down over the region. According to US officials cited by CNN, the aircraft was hit by an Iranian drone, although it remains unclear whether it was intentionally targeted. Both crew members were rescued by a US uncrewed drone boat.
Inside Iran, state media reported explosions at three strategic locations around the Strait of Hormuz following the US strikes. Two water reservoirs were hit during the attacks, disrupting water supplies in parts of the area, it said.
Despite the latest military escalation, a US official said the Trump administration believes the retaliatory action will not derail ongoing efforts aimed at securing a broader settlement with Tehran.
Iran launches missiles toward Bahrain and Jordan
Hours after the US operation, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced retaliatory strikes against what it described as American targets in the region.
The IRGC said it targeted the US Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain and a US military facility in Jordan, while also launching drones and missiles at additional American-linked assets.
Air raid sirens sounded across Bahrain and Kuwait, with Kuwaiti authorities reporting that their air defence systems were intercepting "hostile aerial targets."
Jordan's military later confirmed that it had intercepted and destroyed five missiles launched from Iran toward the Azraq area, where a key military base is located.
"We intercepted and downed five missiles launched from Iran toward Azraq," the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces said in a statement carried by the state-run Jordan News Agency.
The attack marked the first direct targeting of Jordan since a US-Iran ceasefire came into effect in April.
