US military launches new strikes on Iran after Apache downing

The U.S. military said it launched new strikes against Iran on Tuesday after President Donald Trump vowed to respond to the downing of a U.S. Apache attack helicopter overnight, in the latest escalation between Washington and Tehran threatening a fragile ceasefire.

The U.S. military's Central Command said in a statement that "self-defense strikes" started at 5 p.m. Washington time at Trump's direction.

"The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression," Central Command said in a statement.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a one-way Iranian attack drone brought down the Apache. Central Command has said the two crew members were rescued by a sea drone, in a first, and are in stable condition.

(Reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington and Bhargav Acharya in Toronto; Editing by Ryan Patrick Jones and Daniel Wallis)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 4:37 PM.