Topline
U.S. Central Command launched retaliatory strikes against Iran on Tuesday, according to a statement from the agency, responding after President Donald Trump said Iran downed a U.S. helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, which has threatened to derail a looming peace agreement.
Key Facts
The “self-defense strikes” were launched against Iran starting at 5 p.m. EDT, Central Command said, directly characterizing the strikes as a “response” to the downing of the U.S. Army Apache helicopter Monday.
Central Command added the strikes were a “proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression.”
The U.S. helicopter downed Monday was operated by two U.S. pilots who survived and were rescued.
Trump said earlier Tuesday the U.S. “must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
A ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran has technically been in effect for weeks, but both sides have repeatedly accused the other of violating the agreement, which was put in place as the countries tried to gain progress on a longer-term peace deal.
Big Number
102 days. That is how long the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has continued. In that span, Trump has repeatedly claimed victory over Iran, saying the country’s military assets were obliterated as it continued pushing back against U.S. military presence in the Strait of Hormuz.
Key Background
Trump said more than two weeks ago a peace deal with Iran had been “largely negotiated,” noting the final details would be announced “shortly.” Very few details about the potential deal were publicly revealed when Trump announced progress toward an agreement, though multiple outlets reported billions of dollars worth of frozen Iranian assets would have been freed in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz and opening up negotiations for a nuclear deal. Trump has claimed Iran was weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against it. Rumblings of the potential peace agreement’s details received bipartisan backlash, with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, saying he was “deeply concerned” about what he heard regarding the deal and that its outcome “could be a disastrous mistake.” Trump has faced mounting political pressure as the strait’s closure leads to surging gas prices.
Further Reading
Trump Blasts ‘Losers’ Criticizing Potential Iran Deal After Republican Uproar (Forbes)
Trump Says Iran Downed U.S. Helicopter—Plunging Peace Deal In Doubt (Forbes)