US Military Launches Attack on Iranian Territory After Apache Helicopter Crash

JAKARTA - The United States military launched a new wave of attacks against Iran on Tuesday night, according to a US Central Command (US CENTCOM) social media post.

The attack began at 17.00 EDT, according to the post, and was "a response to the fall of an Apache helicopter of the US Army yesterday" off the coast of Oman, CNN reported (10/6).

Further, US CENTCOM described the attack as a "defensive attack."

Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported that explosions had been heard in the Iranian coastal city of Sirik, quoting local residents who heard "a number of explosions in the area."

"The exact nature of these sounds has not been determined, and so far, no official military or law enforcement authority has commented on the cause of the explosion," Mehr reported.

Explosions were also heard in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, which borders the Strait of Hormuz, according to Mehr.

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

A US official told CNN that this new attack was intended as a warning shot to Iran and that the US believed the attack would not hinder negotiations to end the war.

The US CENTCOM post described it as "a proportionate response to Iran's unprovoked aggression."

Two sources told CNN that the initial attack targeted air defense systems and radars around the Strait of Hormuz. One source said additional attacks were expected.

Previously, a source familiar with the crash of the US helicopter said an Iranian Shahed drone attacked the aircraft on Monday.

A US official told CNN that it was unclear whether the drone was deliberately targeting the Apache or whether it was an accidental shooting.

The two helicopter pilots were not injured, according to President Donald Trump's post, and an unmanned US drone ship rescued them.

Apache attack helicopters, used by the US and other involved countries such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, are armed with 30-millimeter chain guns and relatively cheap rockets that make them a valuable and cost-effective asset in repelling Iranian drones during conflicts.