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US president Donald Trump said the two pilots in the helicopter are ‘fine’
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar, Alex Croft & James C. ReynoldsWednesday 10 June 2026 02:00 BST- Bookmark
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Donald Trump’s military has launched retaliatory strikes after the US president accused Iran of shooting down an American helicopter.
Trump warned earlier Tuesday that the US “must, of necessity, respond” to the downing of an Apache helicopter that was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz overnight.
Two American service personnel were rescued from the vital waterway in a stable condition after the $40 million gunship went down, the military said.
US Central Command announced the “self-defense strikes” against Iran Tuesday evening, Washington time.
“The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression”, the military said.
Iranian state media reported explosions and air defense sirens heard along Iran's Persian Gulf coast, per The New York Times.
Trump said earlier Tuesday that the two pilots involved in the helicopter attack “both are safe and uninjured.” And he later tried to downplay the incident.
He said in a phone interview with The Wall Street Journal that it “wasn't a big deal” and stressed that “the pilot is fine”.
The US and Iran are still nominally held to the April 8 ceasefire agreement while working to find an end to the conflict, now in its fourth month.
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Key Points
- US launches retaliatory strikes against Iran after helicopter downing
- Iranian official says Tehran 'will leave no attack or threat unanswered'
- Israel 'kills eight' in fresh attacks on Lebanon threatening Iran truce: report
- Trump says pilots fine after US helicopter crashes near Hormuz
Recap: Eight dead in Israeli attack on Lebanon as Netanyahu ignores Trump’s plea
Israel conducted fresh attacks in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, resulting in the deaths of eight people, despite calls from US president Donald Trump for de-escalation.
An Israeli airstrike hit a popular housing district in Tyre, an ancient southern Lebanese city, after the Israeli military issued an evacuation order for the entire city, including its Christian quarter.
These actions follow a recent agreement between Iran and Israel to halt attacks after an exchange of fire, with Tehran explicitly stating it would resume hostilities if Israel did not cease its bombardment in Lebanon.
Donald Trump confirmed that negotiations with Iran are ongoing and expressed optimism that a peace deal could be signed within a few days, aiming to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Smoke billows following an Israeli strike in Tyre, Lebanon, June 9 (Reuters)James Reynolds10 June 2026 02:00Republican senator backs Trump's threat to respond to helicopter attack
US Senator Ted Cruz has backed US President Donald Trump's threat to retaliate after Iran was accused of shooting down an American helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.
“Enough is enough. President Trump and our Armed Forces decimated Iran militarily, but the Iranian regime has been trying to rebuild and now they've taken down an American Apache”, the Republican wrote on X Tuesday.
“Thank God the two American servicemembers are safe. President Trump is absolutely right. There is a pressing necessity for the U.S. to respond to this attack”, he added.
Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 01:30Armed Iranian drone used in US helicopter downing: report
An armed Iranian Shahed drone was used to down a US helicopter flying over the Strait of Hormuz, CBS News reported, citing two unnamed sources.
Shahed drones are relatively inexpensive, costing just tens of thousands of dollars each, and are said to be able to fly more than 1,000 miles, The Wall Street Journal reported. The downsides of the drones are that they are slower and less destructive than traditional missiles, per the Journal.
Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 01:00US strikes hit Iran's water reservoirs, Iranian state media reports
The fresh US strikes against Iran have hit two water reservoirs in the south of the country, CNN reported, citing Iranian state media.
The water supply in the Bamani district, near the city of Sirik, was reportedly cut off by the retaliatory attack.
Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 00:46Trump has said the Iran war would end soon at least 37 times: report
President Donald Trump has said the Iran war would end soon at least 37 times, CNN reported Tuesday.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump told reporters a deal to end the conflict could be reached “in two or three days.”
Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 00:30Iranian radar sites targeted in US strikes: report
Iranian radar sites were targeted in the retaliatory strikes American forces launched against Tehran for the downing of a US helicopter, two US officials told CBS News.
Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 00:06Iranian official says Tehran 'will leave no attack or threat unanswered'
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said Tehran “will leave no attack or threat unanswered” after the US launched retaliatory strikes against the country.
“Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the U.S. opted to test our determination. Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered.
“Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders”, the foreign minister wrote on social media.
Rachel Dobkin10 June 2026 00:03Recap: Trump claims there are no more ‘sticking points’ in Iran peace talks
Donald Trump said that negotiations with Iran are "still ongoing" and expressed optimism about signing a peace deal within "two or three days" on Tuesday, saying he expected a deal would lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump claimed there were no more "sticking points" in the talks, anticipating a "very good, strong, powerful deal" soon.
His comments followed an agreement between Iran and Israel to halt attacks after the two sides exchanged fire, which had threatened to escalate the conflict in the Middle East.
James Reynolds9 June 2026 23:30Trump says Iran strikes 'should be very strong, very powerful'
The president was on the phone with Jonathan Karl of ABC News when the US retaliatory strikes against Iran began.
Karl took to X to describe his conversation with Trump as the fresh attacks started on Tuesday.
“I think it's very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak,” Trump reportedly told 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.”
Graeme Massie9 June 2026 23:03Trump downplays helicopter downing, says it 'wasn't a big deal'
Donald Trump has downplayed the downing of an American helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, telling The Wall Street Journal it “wasn't a big deal”.
Trump accused Iran earlier Tuesday of shooting down the helicopter, adding that the two pilots involved in the incident were “safe and uninjured”. The US president vowed to “respond to this attack”.
During his call with the Journal Tuesday, Trump stressed that “the pilot is fine”.
Rachel Dobkin9 June 2026 23:00Newer1 / 8OlderMore about
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