The United States began launching strikes against Iran on Tuesday evening, following the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Tuesday.
The strikes were described by CENTCOM as "self-defense strikes" and as "a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression."
Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump announced that the US "must respond" to Iran's downing of the helicopter.
“Last night, the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump described in a post on Truth Social. “The United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
Axios Global Affairs Correspondent Barak Ravid cited a US official as saying that forces attacked several Iranian air defense systems and radar systems around the Strait of Hormuz.
A US official told CNN that the US does not believe the strikes will impede negotiations to end the war and were intended as a warning shot, the network reported.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote that Iranian forces would "leave no attack or threat unanswered," in a post on X.
"Leave our region if you want to be safe," Araghchi added.
Trump tells ABC 'response should be very strong, very powerful'
Trump spoke with ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl on a call just before CENTCOM announced the strikes on Iran, ABC News reported.
"I think it's very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak," ABC News cited Trump as saying to Karl. "This is a response to what they did they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is."
Trump added that the US has a deal that "was very good, and probably will [still be]," according to ABC News.
Iran denies attacking helicopter
Multiple Iranian officials have disputed that Iran targeted the helicopter. The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister told Qatari state-run Al Jazeera that Iran was not behind the attack. Additionally, Iranian state media cited an "informed military source" as saying that no air offensive military operations have been carried out in the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.
The source added that if the enemy attacks under the pretext of downing a military helicopter, it will face a "decisive response," Iran International cited Iranian media as reporting.
This is a developing story.
Goldie Katz and Reuters contributed to this report.