Iran launches missile and drone attacks on U.S. forces after American strikes
Tensions in the Middle East escalated overnight as Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. forces in the region following American strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
(NBC)- Tensions in the Middle East escalated overnight as Iran launched missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. forces in the region following American strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Iranian state media, Iran fired missiles at a U.S. base in Jordan and launched drone attacks against American forces in Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it targeted 21 locations across the Gulf in response to U.S. military action.
The latest exchange comes after American forces carried out strikes on Iranian radar, missile and command-and-control sites. U.S. officials said the operation was launched after an American Army Apache helicopter was brought down while operating near the Strait of Hormuz.
President Donald Trump said the helicopter’s pilots were safely rescued and defended the military response.
“The pilots are fine, yeah. Nobody injured,” Trump said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson described the strikes as limited and defensive.
“It’s targeted strikes to their radar, missile, and command and control sites, and it is defensive in nature,” Johnson said.
U.S. Central Command said the operation has been completed and characterized it as a proportional response to what it called unjustified Iranian aggression. A U.S. official told NBC News the Apache helicopter was struck by an Iranian drone while patrolling the strategic waterway to help protect commercial shipping traffic. The helicopter crashed into the Strait of Hormuz, but both pilots were rescued in what officials described as a first-of-its-kind operation involving an unmanned U.S. Navy vessel.
On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers voiced concerns that continued military exchanges could further complicate diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.
“Retaliation is going to just set diplomacy back that much further,” said Rep. Jim Himes, D-Connecticut.
Just before the latest escalation, President Trump expressed optimism about negotiations with Iran.
“In the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal,” Trump said.
The renewed violence now raises questions about the future of those talks. Iran’s foreign minister said the country prefers diplomacy but warned that Iran is prepared to respond to foreign military actions.
Meanwhile, a U.S. official told NBC News that Iran has been launching attack drones toward commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz for several days, with U.S. forces intercepting most of them.
