U.S. and Iran exchange strikes after helicopter downing

The U.S. launched a series of strikes against Iran on Tuesday evening in response to Iran's downing of a U.S. helicopter, with Iran's military announcing retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. bases in the region.

The big picture: The latest exchange carried the risk of military escalation with Iran even as President Trump is seeking a deal to end the war.

• American forces launched three rounds of strikes targeting Iranian air defense and radar systems near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday evening.
• Iran's military said it targeted bases in Jordan and Kuwait, while a spokesperson for Bahrain's king said his country's air defenses had repelled Iranian attacks.
• Iran fired at least four ballistic missiles and several drones in its initial response, according to a U.S. official.

State of play: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X Tuesday night that American forces had "completed self-defense strikes against Iran" in response to Monday's downing of the Army AH-64 Apache helicopter.

• "CENTCOM forces struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter jets," the post added.
• CENTCOM described the strikes as a "proportional response."

Zoom in: Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in a statement that the U.S. had attacked several points in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm, damaging a telecommunications tower in Sirik and destroying two water tanks in the Bemani district of the city.

• Iranian state media reported earlier explosions in Hormozgan province, which lies on the Strait of Hormuz, including on Qeshm Island.
• The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian armed forces said in a separate statement: "The criminal US army should know that if it repeats its aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, more severe and widespread attacks will be carried out against the bank of targets set in the region."

Catch up quick: Both crew members of the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by a drone boat and are in stable condition.

• A U.S. official told Axios that an investigation determined an Iranian drone hit the helicopter, causing it to crash near the Strait of Hormuz.
• The U.S. official said the investigation had not determined whether it was intentional.

What they're saying: Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. "must, of necessity, respond" to Monday's downing of the helicopter.

• He told ABC News that the strikes would be "very powerful."

The other side: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded to Trump's threat earlier on Tuesday, saying: "Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk" from accidents or crossfire, and "we prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too."

• He wrote on X that Iran's military "will leave no attack or threat unanswered," adding: "Leave our region if you want to be safe. History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details throughout.