U.S. forces struck Iran Tuesday at 5 p.m. Eastern Time at the order of President Donald Trump in retaliation for a downed U.S. Army Apache helicopter Monday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced.

CENTCOM labeled the operation “a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression” in a post on X. The attacks came hours after Trump said Iran had shot down the Apache helicopter and vowed to respond in a Truth Social post. The president addressed the strikes in an ABC News phone interview Tuesday. These are the latest strikes on Iran since the U.S. launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28. (RELATED: US To Respond After Iran Downs Apache Helicopter, Trump Says)

“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter,” the combatant command wrote.

Two U.S. officials alleged an Iranian drone struck the helicopter, though one said it was not known if it was on purpose, CBS News reported. Trump said both pilots aboard were “safe and uninjured” in his Truth Social post. CENTCOM confirmed that the personnel aboard the helicopter were retrieved safely in a post Tuesday, noting that the incident remained under investigation.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian…

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 9, 2026

Trump said he considered it “very important to respond” while speaking to ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl, according to the outlet. “They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak,” he added.

“I believe in responding in a strong manner. I always have throughout my life. And we have a deal that was very good, and probably will [still be],” Trump said. “This is a response to what they did to our helicopter last night, and I believe that the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that’s what this one is.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded to the strikes in a post Tuesday on X. “Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the U.S. opted to test our determination,” he claimed. “Our Poweful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered. Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders.”