US-Iran War Live Updates: The US and Iran appeared headed for a fresh escalation after US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced it had launched "self-defense"
strikes against Iran in response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter a day earlier.
CENTCOM said the operation began at 5 pm ET on the orders of President Donald Trump and was intended as a "proportional response" to Iranian aggression.
Iran, too, signalled it would not back down. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that despite its battlefield setbacks, the US had chosen to "test our determination," warning that Iran's armed forces would leave "no attack or threat unanswered." He also issued a direct message to Washington: "Leave our region if you want to be safe."
The latest exchange threatens to further destabilise the region and raises fresh questions about the future of US-Iran negotiations, though Trump claimed the previous day that the war would end within two weeks.
Follow for latest on the war in West Asia.
