Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of US Central Command speaks during a joint press conference with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, at CENTCOM headquarters. AFP
US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said on X that it had "completed self-defense strikes against Iran."
"CENTCOM forces struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from US Air Force and Navy fighter jets," the post said.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States "must" respond to the downing of the military helicopter, and the US has since launched attacks on Iran, prompting Iranian retaliation against American bases across the Middle East.
The Apache helicopter is the second crewed aircraft that Washington has confirmed was shot down by Iran during the Middle East war, following the loss of an F-15 fighter plane in April.
CENTCOM said earlier that two Apache crew members "were rescued by American forces after their helicopter went down near the coast of Oman."
"The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition," CENTCOM said in a post on X.
The command also said a naval surface drone helped rescue the downed helicopter's crew.
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