West Asia war highlights: U.S. strikes Iran after Apache helicopter downing

U.S. forces carried out strikes against Iran on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) in response to the shooting down of an Apache helicopter the day before, the U.S. military said. American forces “began launching self-defence 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,” U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) said that a U.S. military helicopter was shot down by Iran and that the United States “must” respond. The Apache helicopter is the second crewed aircraft that Washington has confirmed was shot down by Iran during the West Asia war, following the loss of an F-15 fighter plane in April. The downing and the prospect of a U.S. response pose the latest of a series of threats to a shaky ceasefire that has been in place since April 8, as the United States and Iran struggle to negotiate an end to the war.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged foreign forces on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) to leave the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas, warning that they face a persistent risk of being caught in the crossfire.”