US Official Denies Iran's Claim of 21 Attacks on American Bases

A senior American official denied the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's assertion that 21 attacks were carried out on US bases in the region early Wednesday, stating these claims are "not true at all," according to the New York Times.

The official acknowledged that Iran launched several missiles and drones towards US bases in the area, with initial assessments indicating that most of these were intercepted.

In a related report, Axios cited a US official who said that Iran fired at least four ballistic missiles along with several drones targeting American assets.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced via a Telegram post early Wednesday that missiles and drones had been launched at US targets in the region.

This announcement followed the United States' declaration of retaliatory strikes against Iran in response to the downing of a US Army helicopter.

A senior US official told Fox News that approximately 20 targets within Iran were hit early Wednesday as part of the retaliatory strikes following Iran's downing of the US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

The official clarified that although US Central Command announced the conclusion of the strikes, the situation on the ground remained "active," with the US military fully prepared to respond to any Iranian counteractions.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the completion of strikes against Iranian targets, ordered by President Donald Trump, as a response to the downing of the US Army Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM stated that US forces used precision munitions launched from Air Force and Navy fighter jets, targeting Iranian air defense sites, ground control stations, and radar monitoring facilities near the Strait of Hormuz.

The operation was described as a "proportional response" to recent attacks against US forces and international commercial vessels in regional waters, with US forces maintaining vigilance and readiness to counter any "unjustified Iranian aggression."

The United States conducted these strikes in retaliation to what it termed "aggression" following the helicopter incident, with both pilots rescued safely.

The US attacks targeted areas around the Strait of Hormuz, including Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, and Sirik Port, locations near where the Apache helicopter was downed.

According to Fox News, Iranian air defense systems and radar installations were among the targets struck.

President Donald Trump told ABC, "This is a response to what they did to our helicopter last night, and I think the response will be very strong, and it already is." The Iranian Revolutionary Guard responded by warning, "The Iranian response to this hostility will begin soon."

A CNN report, citing a senior US official, indicated that the strikes were intended as a warning message to Tehran.

The report added that Washington believes this action will not harm ongoing negotiations aimed at ending the conflict with Iran.