At HA Viewpoint, we’re tracking the latest developments as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) took to its official channels on June 9 to confirm that missiles and drones have already been launched toward U.S. targets across the region.
Just hours earlier, U.S. Central Command dropped the news that retaliatory strikes against Iran were already underway, following the downing of an American helicopter.
Taking to X, U.S. Central Command clarified that President Trump gave the green light for these so-called “self-defense strikes” to kick off at 5 PM ET on June 9. They framed the whole operation as a proportional countermove to what they’re calling unprovoked provocations.
On the Iranian side, initial reports from Tasnim News Agency pointed to loud explosions echoing across Sirik, Minab, and the strategic Qeshm Island.
But that narrative quickly shifted. Mehr News Agency later carried a correction from the governor of Minab, who clarified that the city itself wasn’t hit. Those booms heard inland? They actually rolled in from the coastal zones of the Strait of Hormuz, well outside Minab’s jurisdiction.
When it comes to the downed helicopter controversy, Iranian state media leaned on military insiders to state pretty clearly: over the last 24 hours, Tehran has been flying strictly defensive, with zero offensive air operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
The same insiders didn’t mince words, either. They made it clear that if any hostile moves are made again over this helicopter incident, Iran is ready to hit back with a decisive counterstrike.
Wrapping up the official stance, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Garibabadi spoke to Al Jazeera, noting that Tehran had no intention of taking out a U.S. Apache hovering over the Strait of Hormuz. Given how tightly wound the regional nerves are right now, he suggested incidents like this can easily slip into the “unintentional” category.
