US launches retaliatory strikes after Trump claims Iran downed Apache helicopter

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it initiated retaliatory strikes against Iran following former President Donald Trump's assertion that Iranian forces shot down a US Apache helicopter. Trump stated on Truth Social that he was informed by the military of the incident, which occurred overnight during a patrol over the Strait of Hormuz, and indicated the United States "will certainly have to respond to this attack." CENTCOM later specified that its forces targeted Iranian air defense systems and ground control stations. In response to the US actions, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have launched drones and missiles aimed at American facilities in the region. The two pilots aboard the Apache helicopter were reported unharmed.

Sources: Громадське, Українська правда