Mike Baker

U.S.

Central Command announced Tuesday evening that American forces had begun what it described as, quote, self-defense strikes against Iranian targets at President Trump's direction.

CENTCOM called the operation a, quote, proportional response to what it described as Iran's unjustified aggression.

While the Pentagon has not yet released a complete list of targets, multiple reports indicate the strikes are focused on Iranian air defense systems and radar facilities near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian state media has reported explosions near the coastal city of Sariq as well as on Qashem Island, two locations that play an important role in Iran's ability to monitor and disrupt the Strait of Hormuz.

The operation comes less than 24 hours after Iran shot down a U.S.

Army Apache helicopter conducting patrol operations near the strait.

According to a U.S.

official cited by Reuters, the aircraft was brought down by an Iranian one-way attack drone.

Both American crew members survived the incident.

In what military officials describe as a first-of-its-kind operation, the soldiers were rescued by an unmanned naval drone vessel operated by the Navy's Task Force 59 before being transferred to safety.

President Trump revealed earlier Tuesday that military investigators had concluded Iran was responsible for the shootdown and quickly promised a response.

Trump wrote on Truth Social, quote, the U.S.

must of necessity respond to this attack, end quote.

Now, you'll recall that Trump previously stated that his red line in this conflict is if any U.S.

soldiers are killed.

It's admittedly a fine line here.

U.S.

soldiers were apparently targeted, but not killed.

So the White House can certainly argue that no red lines were crossed.