Sawt Falasteen - US strikes Iran after Apache helicopter downing

Trump, in a telephone interview with ABC News, said the United States was responding "in a strong manner" to "what 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," he said.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces "began launching self-defense strikes against Iran, at 5 pm ET (2100 GMT) today at the Commander in Chief's direction" and "the mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression."

Iranian media reported that explosions were heard on Iran's southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz.

The US strikes came just hours after Trump had said negotiations to end the Middle East war were in their final stages -- a claim he has made repeatedly in the past few weeks.

A shaky ceasefire between the warring parties has been in place since April 8, but it faced a major test when Iran and Israel renewed attacks over the weekend, before each side announced a halt.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon continued, however, and Lebanese officials said 11 people were killed in airstrikes on Tuesday on the historic city of Tyre in the south of the country.

The Israeli military also warned the entire city to evacuate.

An AFP correspondent saw residents of Tyre, including from the Christian quarter, fleeing and heavy traffic heading north after the Israeli warning.

Another correspondent in the coastal city of Sidon, further north, saw displaced people arriving from Tyre, some with belongings hastily strapped to the roofs of their cars.

Tehran has insisted a halt to the war must include a truce in Lebanon, which was drawn into the conflict when Iran-backed Hezbollah militants fired rockets at Israel on March 2.

Israel responded with an extensive campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion that has killed more than 3,600 people. Exchanges of fire with Hezbollah have not stopped despite an ongoing truce.

- 'Constant risk' -

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged foreign forces meanwhile to leave the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas, warning that they faced a risk of being caught in the crossfire if they remained.

"The Strait of Hormuz is NOT international waters but shared between Iran and Oman," 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. We prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too," he said.

The US Army Apache helicopter is the second crewed aircraft that Washington has confirmed was shot down by Iran during the war, following the loss of an F-15 fighter plane in April.

CENTCOM said the two crew members were rescued after their helicopter went down near the coast of Oman.

"The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition," CENTCOM said in a post on X.

A spokesperson said a naval surface drone helped rescue the crew members.

The US-Iran conflict has severely disrupted shipping via the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil usually passes, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.

The price of the main US oil benchmark -- West Texas Intermediate -- jumped 1.4 percent shortly before Asian markets opened Wednesday, reaching $89.40 per barrel following the news of renewed US strikes.

Oil prices had retreated previously after Trump hinted at a deal with Iran in the coming days.

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O.Mousa--SF-PST