Iran threatened further retaliation Tuesday after U.S. strikes over the downing of an American Apache helicopter, escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran "will leave no attack or threat unanswered," according to the Associated Press.
The warning came as U.S. Central Command said American forces carried out what it described as "self-defense" strikes ordered by President Donald Trump. This was in response to an Apache helicopter being shot down near the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit chokepoint.
Trump said earlier Tuesday that the United States had to respond after being informed that Iranian forces were responsible for bringing down the helicopter. Both crew members survived and were rescued.
CENTCOM described the operation as a "proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression," saying the strikes targeted Iranian military infrastructure, including radar and air-defense systems. U.S. officials said the action was limited in scope and intended to deter further attacks rather than signal a broader campaign.
Iranian officials have issued repeated warnings of counterstrikes following recent U.S. military action in the region, according to reporting by The Washington Post, which has described Tehran as signaling a broader readiness to escalate in response to continued American operations.
Separately, Yahoo News has reported that Iranian officials have warned they would expand their response if U.S. strikes continue, framing the exchanges as part of a broader pattern of escalating tit-for-tat military actions between the two countries.
The latest exchange follows a series of recent confrontations in which Iranian officials have threatened retaliation after U.S. strikes on Iranian targets, including earlier operations Washington said were intended to protect American troops from emerging threats.
The Apache incident marks one of the most direct recent clashes between the two countries since an April ceasefire intended to reduce hostilities after months of fighting involving Iran, Israel and U.S. forces operating in the region.
The helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly a fifth of global oil shipments pass, renewing concerns about maritime security in the Gulf.
Iranian officials have disputed U.S. accounts of several recent military incidents and suggested the circumstances surrounding the Apache shootdown remain unclear. Washington, however, has blamed Tehran-linked forces and moved quickly to retaliate.
Despite the escalation, Trump has repeatedly said in recent days — including as recently as Tuesday — that diplomatic talks with Iran are continuing and that a potential agreement could be reached within days, even as military exchanges between the two sides have intensified.
The latest escalation has heightened concerns that even limited exchanges could spiral into a broader conflict, as both sides continue to signal readiness to respond while insisting they do not seek full-scale war.