Image for representation purposes only The U.S and Iran exchanged military strikes after the downing of an American helicopter. On Monday evening, a U.S. Army Apache helicopter crashed near the coast of Oman. The two pilots were safely rescued. President Donald Trump stated that Iran shot down the helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz and promised retaliation. On Tuesday evening, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) launched “self-defence strikes” targeting Iranian air defences, ground control stations, and radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran did not claim responsibility for the helicopter incident, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi suggested the crash could be due to human error or an accident. Following the U.S. strikes, Iranian state media reported explosions, and officials warned they would respond to Washington’s military aggression. On Wednesday, Iran launched retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region. Jordan intercepted 5 missiles, Kuwait activated its air defences, and Bahrain destroyed incoming aerial targets, accusing Iran of targeting civilians. Just hours before the escalation, President Trump had claimed the U.S. and Iran were close to signing a “very, very good deal” within days to stop Iran’s nuclear program and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Despite the war passing its 100-day mark, no deal has yet been reached.