The United States launched airstrikes early Wednesday against Iran after blaming Tehran for the crash of an American attack helicopter, prompting new attacks from Iran and further widening the retaliatory strikes that threaten to derail talks to end the war.

US Response to Helicopter Crash

Fighter jets from the US Air Force and Navy conducted the strikes in Iran, targeting air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites. Iran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, but gave no details on the damage.

A US Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with an Iranian drone, according to a US official. The crash is under investigation, and it wasn’t clear whether the collision was intentional.

Iran’s Retaliation

Iran launched attacks on sites in Bahrain and Kuwait, which both sounded alerts and fired air defenses in response. Jordan also reported shooting down five missiles that Iran shot at an air base hosting US forces.

The continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is still a top Iranian priority. Lebanon’s army chief, Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, traveled to Pakistan on Tuesday, where he met Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been a key figure in the Iran-US talks.

Original reporting: Dallas TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.