President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended U.S. strikes against Iran, saying they were a direct response to the downing of the U.S. Army Apache helicopter.
Speaking with ABC News' Jonathan Karl as U.S. Central Command announced retaliatory strikes against Iran, Trump said, "I think it's very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak."
Trump said the strikes were a direct response to Iran's actions.
"This is a response to what they did they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is," Trump added.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Tuesday that American forces have completed strikes against Iranian targets ordered in response to the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.
According to CENTCOM, U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter jets struck Iranian air defense systems, ground control stations and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz using precision-guided munitions.
"The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters," CENTCOM wrote on X. "U.S. forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression."
Oil prices rose about 1% Wednesday, recovering from a seven-week low.
The gains came after fresh U.S. strikes on Iran and new data showed another sharp drop in U.S. crude inventories, according to Reuters.
Brent futures gained 83 cents, or 0.9%, to $92.29 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 68 cents, or 0.8%, to $88.97, Reuters reported.
{{#rendered}}Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday issued another warning to the United States, vowing that Tehran would respond to any attack or threat.
"Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the U.S. opted to test our determination," Araghchi wrote on X. "Our Powerful Armed Forces will leave no attack or threat unanswered."
Araghchi also warned U.S. forces to leave the region.
"Leave our region if you want to be safe," Araghchi added. "History of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders."
Earlier Tuesday, Araghchi warned that foreign forces operating near Iran faced risks from accidents, miscalculations or becoming "caught in crossfire."
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., on Tuesday said the U.S. could not allow the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter to go unanswered.
"We're not going to let some backwater terrorist regime take out one of our aircraft without consequence either," Perry told reporters Tuesday morning. "And if they're going to do things like that, there's going to be a consequence to it. It's appropriate absolutely."
Perry also argued that Iran has been hostile toward the U.S. for decades and said President Donald Trump is seeking to end the conflict.
"Nobody wants to be at war, but they're the ones that have declared war on the United States of America," he said. "[The] president wants to end this war, and I support him in doing that."
A U.S. official told Fox News on Tuesday that airstrikes against Iran are "ongoing," with targets including Iranian air defense systems and radars.
U.S. Central Command said it began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET Tuesday in response to the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Tuesday called on Senate Republicans to advance a war powers resolution aimed at ending U.S. involvement in the conflict.
"The only sure way to protect our troops is to end this war as soon as possible, something Donald Trump is clearly incapable of doing," Schumer said. "Senate Republicans need to step up, advance our war powers resolution to end the war, and bring our troops home."
Schumer's remarks came after two American helicopter pilots were rescued after Iran reportedly shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.
"I'm sure I speak for everyone in the Senate and in the country when I say I'm relieved that the two American helicopter pilots shot down over the Strait of Hormuz earlier today have been safely rescued," Schumer said. "The U.S. Helicopter that went down over the strait is a stark reminder that every second Trump's disastrous war continues is another second that our troops remain in harm's way."
U.S. Central Command announced Tuesday that American forces have begun conducting what it described as "self-defense strikes" against Iran following the downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter.
"U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense 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. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression," CENTCOM wrote on X.
A senior administration official said the U.S. has issued the visas necessary for Iran's national soccer team to compete in the 2026 World Cup, including for players and essential support staff.
"The visas necessary for Iran to compete in the World Cup, including for athletes and necessary support staff, have been issued," the official said. "We will not allow the Iranian team to abuse this system to sneak terrorists into the United States under false pretenses."
Fox News' Gillian Turner contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}The Islamic Republic of Iran has accelerated its executions of dissidents and activists, with the true number of victims likely obscured by the regime’s internet censorship and blackout.
Ever since the January uprisings against the regime, Tehran has enforced a bloody clampdown against its opponents.
The Iran Human Rights Society has documented 784 executions so far in 2026. A representative from the organization told Fox News Digital that "these figures indicate a rapidly accelerating trend in executions since March," and explained that "in particular, the execution of political prisoners has reached a level not seen in the past 37 years."
A State Department official told Fox News Digital that "we are aware of disturbing reports about the recent surge in executions in Iran." The official noted that "we strongly condemn the Iranian regime’s use of executions to punish people for exercising basic human rights, including Iranians peacefully protesting for a better life."
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital's Beth Bailey.
The U.S. has surged military assets across the Middle East, with nearly 20,000 Sailors and Marines currently at sea supporting operations in the region, according to several U.S. Navy officials.
The deployment includes the aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush, 18 guided-missile destroyers, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit — a Marine Corps rapid-response force — and more than a dozen air squadrons deployed aboard ships.
Those forces are part of the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops now in the Middle East, including soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division and airmen flying missions from bases across the region.
Fox News' Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Questions mounted Tuesday after a U.S. Apache helicopter crashed off Oman’s coast, with CENTCOM investigating the incident and drone experts pointing to a possible missile strike.
Cameron Chell, CEO of defense tech firm Draganfly, told Fox News Digital that a drone strike on a heavy attack helicopter is highly improbable.
“Iran does not have drones that take out Apaches; they have missiles that take out Apaches,” Chell said.
“Iranians typically also don't have ground-to-air drones, and they're not known for them, unless it's a new capability that they've developed.”
“Typical ground-to-air drone capabilities are used to take out other drones and not necessarily aircraft,” Chell added.
“They have drones that hit installations or target infrastructure, whether that's a ship or a plant, not an aircraft, as typical drones that take out air assets are built for taking out other drones. They're not taking out larger assets like a helicopter.”
Chell explained that existing Iranian drones do not move fast enough and are “not sophisticated enough” to hunt down a moving helicopter.
“An Iranian drone physically hitting a helicopter is just not in their arsenal right now.”
Instead, the evidence points to a completely different class of weaponry if the crash wasn't mechanical, he said.
“I would suggest that it was some sort of ground-to-air missile, and probably even likely shoulder-launched,” Chell explained.
“If it was hostile activity that took it down, it was some sort of ground-to-air missile and was probably shoulder-launched or shoulder-mounted.”
Chell also noted that the aircraft’s mission parameters might have set the stage for an accident.
“Apache helicopters are very often used in counter-drone operations, so maybe it got hit by a drone and was interacting with one—though I highly doubt it—or it may have been involved in a counter-drone operation and had some mechanical problems, and therefore went down separate from getting hit,” Chell added.
So far, Tehran has not taken an official stance on the crash or claimed responsibility.
“Normally, if they were to take out an air asset like this, they would be jumping up and down taking credit for it,” Chell concluded.
“This could have been a decentralized unit that executed this,” he said.
{{#rendered}}Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday warned foreign military forces operating near Iran's borders that they face growing risks and would be safer leaving the region.
In a post on X, Araghchi said foreign forces "in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire."
"To reduce risk, best solution is for them to leave," Araghchi added. "We prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too."
Araghchi's comments came hours after Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a similar warning, cautioning the U.S. against breaking its commitments.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., confirmed Tuesday that a secure briefing with CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper is scheduled for later in the day, as questions mount over the reported downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.
When asked about the incident, Hoeven said he had heard the two pilots had been rescued and expressed appreciation for U.S. personnel in the region.
"I heard that they've been rescued. That's a really important thing. We appreciate the incredible work they're doing over there and maybe we'll find some more about what happened in this hearing," Hoeven said. "We also have a secure briefing this afternoon."
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Tuesday warned the U.S. against breaking its commitments, saying Tehran prefers diplomacy but is prepared to respond if agreements are not honored.
"We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we speak other languages far more fluently. Break your commitments, and we'll switch to what we speak best," Ghalibaf wrote on X. "You ride the horse you saddled!"
The comments came just minutes before President Donald Trump said the U.S. “must respond” to Iran’s reported downing of an Army Apache helicopter.
{{#rendered}}President Donald Trump blamed Iran for shooting down a U.S. Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday night, vowing to respond in a Tuesday post on Truth Social.
"I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured," Trump wrote.
"Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" Trump concluded.
While media reports indicate the U.S. is still investigating the cause of the crash, two senior U.S. officials told Fox News that Iranian drones were responsible.
The officials told Fox that the U.S. is still investigating whether or not the Iranians meant to hit the helicopter.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced a historic rescue mission for the helicopter pilots Tuesday morning, while officials confirmed to Fox News that the downed pilots were rescued using an Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) sea drone in a first-of-its-kind mission.
The apparent aggression from Iran threatens a tenuous peace process after Trump said Monday night that a peace deal was just days away
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted photos Tuesday of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit loading weapons onto a UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter for aerial sniper and close air support training.
The photos, which CENTCOM posted to X on Tuesday, showed the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit landing the helicopter on the deck of the USS Tripoli amphibious assault ship in the Arabian Sea.
Additional photos showed the Marines wielding large combat weapons, including a and a large Mini gun and a Barrett M107 sniper rifle.
CENTCOM posted the photos on the same day it announced a rescue operation of two U.S. service members in international waters near Oman.
President Donald Trump is continuing to project confidence that a final nuclear agreement with Iran remains within reach despite months of slow-moving diplomacy, unresolved disputes over uranium enrichment and a ceasefire that appeared at risk of unraveling over the weekend.
"We're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal," Trump told reporters after attending the third game of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden, adding that it would come in "two or three days."
Trump has suggested dozens of times over the past two months that a deal is just around the corner, yet little public evidence has emerged that the sides have bridged the core disputes that have complicated negotiations. Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, the president has said a deal was close at least 38 times, according to a CNN count.
This is an excerpt from a story by Morgan Phillips.
{{#rendered}}The U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa said "we have reached a point of no return" in ceasefire negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, adding Monday that talks are progressing positively, according to foreign media reports
“It is very important for an official to choose what he wants and move forward with it, especially if it is the only choice to end a painful and harsh situation like the one Lebanon is experiencing,” Issa told reporters Monday after meeting with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun, according to Israel's Channel 7 news agency.
"I would like to commend the Lebanese negotiating team for its high level of professionalism and effectiveness. The members of the team speak clearly and frankly on the Lebanese file," Issa added.
Issa also remarked on President Donald Trump's request to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pull back on strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon after Iranian officials conditioned any ceasefire on a halting of Israeli operations in Lebanon.
"What happened yesterday was a political message," Issa said, adding "in the United States, we decided that the confrontation should not expand further."
Both sides publicly acceded to Trump's request, with Netanyahu confirming that "the fire has been halted" Monday morning.
Netanyahu maintained that Israel would retain the right to launch strikes in Lebanon, including on capital Beirut, if the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah continued to launch missiles at northern Israel from Lebanon.
While Lebanon's government agreed to become party to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in early June, leaders from Hezbollah publicly refused.
Despite Hezbollah's obstinance, Lebanese officials continued to appeal to Israel for a diplomatic solution on a peace deal.
"We are ready, we are willing, we are committed. Are you? If you are, let's sit and talk," Lebanese president Joseph Aoun said Monday during an interview with CNN.
After a Monday surge, oil prices erased gains Tuesday following a Monday night statement from President Donald Trump that a deal to end the Iran war could come in "two or three days.”
After closing above $94 per barrel on S&P Platts' index, dated Brent Crude, one of the primary benchmarks for global oil prices, is trading between $91 and $92 as of 9:40 a.m.
The price decrease follows a Monday night assurance from Trump that the Iran war is almost over.
"We're very close to having a very, very good strong powerful deal," Trump said Monday night while speaking to reporters on the tarmac of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
"Two or three days," Trump said when asked when a deal would come together.
"Their economy is really suffering and they're gonna make a deal," he said.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate, another key oil benchmark, also dropped nearly 2% to $89.67 a barrel, according to CNBC.
Oil prices had initially risen Monday after Israel and Iran exchanged missile strikes, imperiling a tepid ceasefire and seemingly defying a direct request from Trump for both sides to stop shooting.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced the elimination of two Islamic Jihad terrorists in a Monday strike on the Gaza Strip.
The Monday strikes eliminated Iyad Muhammad Abd al-Aziz Nofal and Ahmad Abd al-Hamid Hamad Ma’arouf, the IDF claimed in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
Nofal was a Nukhba commander in the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization, according to the IDF.
Ma'arouf was the head of an Islamic jihad terrorist cell and executed numerous rocket attacks against Israel, according to the IDF.
The pair were, according to the IDF, "planning to carry out imminent terror attacks against IDF troops and were eliminated in order to remove the threat."
"Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance," the IDF wrote in the statement.
The strike was the IDF's second major strike on terrorist organizations in Gaza in two days following Sunday strikes on Hamas' Naval Police Headquarters in Gaza's Khan Yunis city.
Fox News' Yonat Frilling contributed to this report.
{{#rendered}}The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued an evacuation to the entire ancient Lebanese city of Tyre, including the city's Christian Quarter, Tuesday, citing Hezbollah activity in the Christian Quarter.
"In light of the terrorist Hezbollah party's violation of the ceasefire agreement and targeting of Israel's home front, the Israel Defense Forces are compelled to act against it forcefully. The Israel Defense Forces do not intend to harm you," IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote in a Tuesday morning X post.
The warning cautioned residents of the majority Muslim city to evacuate north of the Zahrani River, roughly 20 miles north of the city's center.
"Your presence near Hezbollah elements or their facilities or combat means endangers your lives," Adraee continued.
"As we warned in the past days, following Hezbollah elements' actions inside the Christian Quarter in the city, the Israel Defense Forces will be compelled to act against their terrorist activities in the quarter in the near term," Adraee wrote.
The city's Christian Quarter, which has been continuously inhabited by Christians for nearly 2,000 years, had previously been spared of Israeli strikes and evacuation orders that had targeted much of the rest of the city.
Israel launched military operations against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group operating in Lebanon, after the group launched a fresh round of missile strikes on northern Israel in March as a response to the joint U.S.-Israeli assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
"Any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may be subject to targeting. To ensure your safety - evacuate your homes immediately and move north beyond the Zahrani River," Adraee added.
"Any movement south of the Zahrani River may endanger your lives," his statement concluded.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Tuesday that American forces rescued two crew members from a downed Apache helicopter in waters near the coast of Oman on Monday night.
"At 7:33 p.m. ET on June 8, two crew members from a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by American forces after their helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters," CENTCOM said in a statement posted to social media.
"The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition. The cause of the incident is under investigation. Rescue efforts were led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from U.S. Air Force and Navy units including U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59," the statement concluded.
Speaking to reporters at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport early Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump noted that "the pilots are fine."
CENTCOM also revealed Tuesday that the crew members were rescued by an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) sea drone
"This was an operational first for the U.S. military," CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed to Fox News' Trey Yingst.
Hawkins shed additional light on the drone, telling Fox that it was a U.S. Navy Corsair unmanned surface vessel operated by the U.S. 5th Fleet's Task Force 59.
"Both aircrew climbed aboard the USV and were subsequently transferred to a regional medical facility for evaluation," a senior U.S. official also told Yingst.
"To our knowledge, this marks a global first — the first time an unmanned surface vessel has directly participated in the rescue of downed aircrew. It is a powerful example of how unmanned systems and AI are delivering real operational advantages," the official said.
"Established in 2021 by Admiral Cooper, Task Force 59 was designed to accelerate the integration of unmanned systems and AI into military operations. Last night’s rescue demonstrates how that vision has moved from concept to reality, with unmanned systems now playing a critical role in real-world missions, including helping save American lives," the official concluded.
Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
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