U.S.-Iran ceasefire ruptures after helicopter downing

The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran broke apart this week after an American Apache helicopter was brought down near the Strait of Hormuz, triggering U.S. airstrikes on Iranian targets and a new round of Iranian attacks on U.S.-linked military sites across the region.

Iran said Wednesday it retaliated for the American strikes by launching attacks targeting U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. There were no immediate confirmed reports of impacts, only interceptions by air defenses.

The exchange followed what U.S. officials described as “self-defense strikes” against Iranian targets after the downing of the U.S. Army helicopter Monday evening near the Strait of Hormuz. Sources told CBS News the helicopter was hit by an Iranian drone. The incident led to the U.S. military’s first sea drone rescue operation to recover the two-member crew.

A U.S. official told CBS News that American forces hit nearly 20 targets in Iran. U.S. Central Command said the targets included Iranian air defenses, radar sites and ground control stations. Iranian state media reported attacks on Qeshm Island and a projectile strike in the port city of Sirik, while residents reported explosions near Bandar Abbas and Jask, according to Al Jazeera.

President Donald Trump said Iran had taken “too long” to negotiate a deal with the United States and would now “pay the price.” In a Truth Social post Wednesday, he wrote: “Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!! They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!”

After the U.S. strikes, Trump told ABC News: “I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful.”

Iranian officials accused Washington of undermining diplomacy. Esmail Baqaei, spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry and its negotiating team, said the United States had violated the ceasefire agreement and sent contradictory messages. Iran’s IRNA state news agency quoted him as saying officials would review their position in negotiations in light of the latest strikes, which he called “damaging this diplomatic process.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that Iran would “leave no attack or threat unanswered,” Al Jazeera reported.

Iran’s state-controlled IRIB television network said Iranian naval forces launched drone strikes targeting the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait. Kuwait’s army said on X that its “air defense systems” were “currently intercepting hostile aerial targets” and urged residents to follow official safety guidance.

Jordan said it shot down five incoming missiles launched by Iran. Iran said the missiles targeted Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, which has hosted American F-35 fighter jets and other aircraft. Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency carried a military statement saying there were no injuries and that explosives experts examined debris from the interceptions.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps also said its Aerospace Force launched long-range missiles at an airbase in Jordan that hosts U.S. military personnel. The IRGC claimed the attack destroyed four key targets, including F-35 fighter jet hangars and a command-and-control center, but Al Jazeera said those claims had not been independently verified.

Retired U.S. Gen. Mark Kimmitt told Al Jazeera the limited scope of the recent U.S. and Iranian strikes may suggest both sides are trying to contain the crisis rather than widen it. Al Jazeera’s Washington correspondent Alan Fisher said the coming hours could determine whether the ceasefire holds and diplomacy resumes or whether both countries enter a cycle of direct retaliatory attacks.

Separately, Lebanese authorities said at least 17 people were killed and dozens wounded in attacks across southern Lebanon on Tuesday, according to Al Jazeera. The Israeli military issued a new displacement order for Tyre, including the Christian quarter for the first time, before strikes hit the city.