Washington (United States) (AFP) – US forces carried out strikes against Iran on Tuesday in what President Donald Trump said was retaliation for the downing of an American helicopter by the Islamic Republic a day earlier. Iranian media reported that following a series of explosions along Iran’s southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz, the situation was “now reported to be calm.” Digital news outlet Axios stated that US forces had attacked several Iranian air defense systems and radar systems around the strait.
Following the strikes, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi threatened to retaliate. “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,” Araghchi posted on X. The US strikes came just hours after Trump had said negotiations to end the Middle East war were in their final stages — a claim he has made repeatedly in the past few weeks. However, after the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter on Monday, Trump stated that the United States was responding “in a strong manner” after “what they did with our helicopter last night” in a telephone interview with ABC News. “And I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that’s what this one is,” he said.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that American forces “began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 pm ET (2100 GMT) today at the Commander in Chief’s direction,” and described the mission as a proportional response to “unjustified Iranian aggression.” A shaky ceasefire between the warring parties has been in place since April 8, but it faced a major test when Iran and Israel renewed attacks over the weekend before each side announced a halt. Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued, however, with Lebanese officials confirming that 11 people were killed in airstrikes on Tuesday in the historic city of Tyre in the south of the country. The Israeli military also warned the entire city to evacuate.
An AFP correspondent observed residents of Tyre, including from the Christian quarter, fleeing, and heavy traffic heading north after the Israeli warning. Another correspondent in the coastal city of Sidon, further north, saw displaced people arriving from Tyre, some with belongings hastily strapped to the roofs of their cars. Tehran insisted that a halt to the war must include a truce in Lebanon, which was drawn into the conflict when Iran-backed Hezbollah militants fired rockets at Israel on March 2. Israel responded with an extensive campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion that has resulted in more than 3,600 deaths. Exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have continued despite the ongoing truce.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged foreign forces to leave the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding areas, warning that they faced a risk of being caught in crossfire if they remained. “The Strait of Hormuz is NOT international waters but shared between Iran and Oman,” Araghchi stated. “Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire. To reduce risk, the best solution is for them to leave. We prefer the language of diplomacy but speak other languages too,” he added.
The US Army Apache helicopter is the second crewed aircraft confirmed by Washington to have been shot down by Iran during the war, following the loss of an F-15 fighter plane in April. CENTCOM reported that the two crew members were rescued 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 noted in a post on X. A spokesperson mentioned that a naval surface drone assisted in the rescue of the crew members.
The US-Iran conflict has severely disrupted shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil usually passes, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports. The price of the main US oil benchmark — West Texas Intermediate — jumped 1.4 percent shortly before Asian markets opened on Wednesday, reaching $89.40 per barrel following the news of renewed US strikes. Oil prices had previously retreated after Trump hinted at a deal with Iran in the coming days.
© 2024 AFP
