The U.S. launched strikes on Iran at 5 p.m. E.T. on Tuesday, following the earlier downing of a U.S. helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, Central Command announced.
In its X post announcing the strikes, CentCom said they were launched “at the Commander in Chief’s direction” in response to the downing of the helicopter.
“The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression,” Centcom’s X post said.
President Donald Trump earlier blamed Iran for downing the helicopter and said it was a “necessity” for the U.S. to respond.