Explosions are heard in southern Iran, Iranian media say

Explosions were heard in the Iranian coastal city of Sirik, Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency reported, citing local residents who heard "several explosions in the area."

"The exact nature of these sounds has not yet been determined and, to date, no official military or police authority has commented on the cause of the explosions," Mehr reported.

Explosions were also heard in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm, cities bordering the Strait of Hormuz, according to Mehr.

News of the explosions came on the same day that the US announced the launch of a new wave of attacks against Iran, in retaliation for the downing of a US Army helicopter.

The extent and intensity of the US strikes were not immediately clear, although the Central Command post described them as a "proportionate response to Iran's unwarranted aggression."

Earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that he was informed by the US Army that Iran shot down a US Apache helicopter that crashed off the coast of Oman.

He pointed out that the US Armed Forces "must necessarily respond to this attack".

"I have just been informed by our Armed Forces that last night the Iranians shot down one of our sophisticated Apache helicopters while it was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and unharmed," the president posted on Truth Social.

"Even so, the United States must necessarily respond to this attack," he said.

An American maritime drone rescued the two helicopter crew. The case marked the first loss of an Apache since the start of the conflict with Iran.

Hours later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged foreign forces to leave the Strait of Hormuz or risk being "caught in constant danger" after US President Donald Trump accused Tehran of shooting down an Army Apache helicopter off the coast of Oman.

"Foreign forces close to our territory are at constant risk due to human error, accidents or potentially being caught in crossfire," Araghchi said in a post on the social network X.

"To reduce risk, the best solution is for foreign forces to leave, as quickly as possible, an environment that will never be hospitable to a hostile presence," he added.

The Iranian foreign minister added that while Tehran prefers "the language of diplomacy... as our brave warriors have demonstrated to the world, we also know how to speak other languages," echoing a similar statement made earlier by Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

The Foreign Minister stated that the Strait of Hormuz is not considered international waters, but rather shared by Iran and Oman. He promised that the Iranian military is on constant alert for "any violation of Iran's airspace, territory or territorial waters."

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Source: CNN