US strikes Iran after helicopter downed, Tehran retaliates against American bases in Bahrain and Jordan

The helicopter shootdown

Hostilities that began on 28 February escalated sharply on Tuesday when an American Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump confirmed the loss to ABC News. "They shot down a helicopter and we are retaliating right now," he said, adding that the response should be "very strong, very powerful, and that is currently the case."

US strikes on Iran

In retaliation, Washington attacked Iranian targets along the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media reported that Qeshm Island in the strait was hit and a strike was confirmed at Sirik. The Fars news agency said explosions were heard in Hormozgan province.

Iran strikes back

Tehran responded overnight by targeting American bases in Bahrain and Jordan. Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they "targeted and destroyed four major targets, including F-35 fighter groups at an airbase and the American military command centre" at Azraq in Jordan. The Jordanian army said it shot down five Iranian missiles. In Bahrain, Iranian ideological army fighters announced a "drone attack against the US Fifth Fleet." Shortly afterwards, warning sirens sounded in the Gulf state.

Regional spillover

Kuwait's military said it was confronting "hostile aerial targets" without identifying their origin. The exchanges mark a widening of the conflict beyond the Strait of Hormuz, drawing in multiple Gulf states.

Ceasefire hopes dashed

Only hours before the helicopter was downed, Trump had said he was close to a "very, very good deal" to end the fighting, suggesting a timeline of "two to three days." That optimism evaporated with the shootdown and the subsequent cycle of strike and counter-strike.

They shot down a helicopter and we are retaliating right now. I think the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that is currently the case.