US Strikes Iran After Helicopter Crash 06/10 06:15

   The United States launched airstrikes early Wednesday against Iran after 
blaming Tehran for the crash of an American attack helicopter, and Iran fired 
back at countries in the region -- another escalation that threatened to derail 
efforts to end the war.

   DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- The United States launched airstrikes 
early Wednesday against Iran after blaming Tehran for the crash of an American 
attack helicopter, and Iran fired back at countries in the region -- another 
escalation that threatened to derail efforts to end the war.

   Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan -- all of which host U.S. troops -- came under 
Iranian fire. It was the second time this week that back-and-forth strikes have 
tested the ceasefire after Iran and Israel targeted each other on Monday, and 
it again raised the question of how much pressure the deal can take before it 
cracks.

   While U.S. President Donald Trump has insisted that negotiations with Iran 
to end the war are making progress, he has repeatedly vacillated between 
expressing such optimism and warning that he was ready to return to all-out 
war. Iran, meanwhile, has proved resilient despite having faced weeks of heavy 
bombing, betting that its ability to effectively close the Strait of Hormuz -- 
a crucial passageway for the world's oil and natural gas -- gives it a strong 
bargaining chip.

   Both countries seem to be looking for a way to end the conflict -- if they 
can manage to sell it as a win at home. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu appears intent on pursuing much more difficult goals: the collapse of 
Iran's theocratic government, the elimination of its nuclear program, and the 
destruction of the Iranian-allied Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. That 
will make compromise much harder.

   Strikes by the US and Iran shake the Mideast

   Since the U.S. and Israel started the war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, 
the conflict has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the 
world, and made many basics, including food, more expensive. Brent crude oil, 
the international standard, was at more than $91 a barrel on Wednesday, up more 
than 25% since the start of the war.

   In the latest strikes, U.S. fighter jets targeted "air defense, ground 
control stations, and surveillance radar sites," the military's Central Command 
said. Iran acknowledged strikes around Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Island, but gave 
no details on the damage.

   "The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on U.S. forces 
and international commercial ships transiting regional waters," Central Command 
said.

   Iran's top diplomat vowed that there would be a response, and Tehran later 
claimed attacks in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.

   Jordan said it shot down five incoming missiles, which Iran said targeted 
the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. The base has hosted American F-35 fighter jets and 
other aircraft.

   Jordan's state-run Petra news agency carried a military statement saying 
there were no injuries and that explosives experts examined the debris from the 
interceptions.

   Bahrain and Kuwait said they intercepted incoming fire, without elaborating.

   Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the American attacks as a 
violation of Iranian sovereignty in calls with his counterparts from Turkey and 
Saudi Arabia "and emphasized the inherent right of self-defense, including 
reciprocal action," according to a post on his office's Telegram channel.

   Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in televised comments 
Wednesday that in light of the new attacks, Iran would review its stance on 
negotiations to end the war.

   The exchanges of fire came a day after a U.S. Army attack helicopter crashed 
near the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with an Iranian drone, according to a 
U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing 
investigation. It wasn't clear whether the collision was intentional.

   A drone boat rescued both of the helicopter's aviators, and Trump said they 
were uninjured.

   A cargo ship is attacked by a small boat in the Gulf of Aden

   Guards aboard a cargo ship off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden 
exchanged fire with gunmen in a small boat and repelled their attack, the 
British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

   No group immediately claimed responsibility. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi 
rebels have said they will resume their attacks against Israel-affiliated ships 
in the Red Sea. Somali pirates have also become more active in the region.

   The UKMTO later reported a fire in the engine room of a tanker in the Gulf 
of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, saying one person had been hurt and two 
others aboard were missing. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire.

   Trump has said a deal to end the war is coming

   Before he accused Iran of downing the U.S. helicopter, Trump expressed 
renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran, but didn't say why there was 
reason for hope.

   While Trump, wary of high gas prices and upcoming congressional elections in 
November, seems to be looking for a quick win, he is also making demands that 
will be tough for Iran to swallow.

   The U.S. wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. 
While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, that uranium is a short, 
technical step from weapons-grade levels.

   Iran is refusing to give up the uranium and demanding relief from sanctions. 
It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in 
place, something rejected by Trump.

   It's not clear how those differences can be bridged -- and Trump has 
repeatedly threatened to walk away from the talks. On his Truth Social platform 
overnight he seemed to be warning again that he was ready to return to all-out 
war, posting a clip from the American TV series "The West Wing" with actor 
Martin Sheen as president bellowing: "We don't come back with a proportional 
response, we come back with total disaster!"

   Meanwhile, Iran has continued to insist that any deal to end the war must 
also end fighting between its ally Hezbollah and Israel. Instead, Israel has 
intensified its military campaign against the militant group.

   Israel's military said on Wednesday it launched multiple strikes in southern 
Lebanon over the past day, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure.

   An airstrike on a village east of Tyre killed at least six people, Lebanon's 
state-run National News Agency reported.