US Central Command said on Tuesday its forces began carrying out “self-defense strikes” against Iran at President Donald Trump’s direction, calling the operation a proportional response to the downing of a US Army Apache helicopter.
Iran’s deputy foreign minister told Al Jazeera that a US Apache helicopter that went down over the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday was not deliberately targeted by Iran.
Kazem Gharibabadi said such events could happen unintentionally because of the tense military situation in the area.
"Iran was not behind the attack. Such incidents may occur unintentionally because of the tense atmosphere in the Strait of Hormuz. There was no deliberate targeting by Iran of the US helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz," he said.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned foreign forces near Iran’s territory to leave the region, after President Donald Trump said Tehran had downed a US Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz.
He said the Strait of Hormuz was “NOT international waters” but was shared between Iran and Oman, adding that maritime boundaries were “crystal clear.”
“Our powerful Armed Forces are on constant alert for any violation of Iran’s airspace, land or waters,” he said.
“Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire,” Araghchi said in a post on X.
“To reduce risk, best solution is for them to leave,” he added. “We prefer language of diplomacy but speak other languages too."
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran accused the UN nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi of overlooking what it called illegal US and Israeli attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying his approach resembled past reporting on the 2015 nuclear deal.
In an explanatory note addressed to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Board of Governors, the organization said no country had been subjected to as much monitoring as Iran, while also claiming no country had faced as many military attacks against its peaceful nuclear facilities.
The Iranian organization said attacks by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, as well as threats of further strikes, were the main obstacle to implementing safeguards under current conditions.
It criticized Grossi’s “silence” over the attacks and said his reporting had followed a pattern similar to the IAEA’s approach to the JCPOA, arguing that Washington’s withdrawal from the agreement had not been sufficiently highlighted.
Tehran said normal verification activities could resume if what it described as wartime conditions ended and threats against Iran’s nuclear sites were removed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned his security cabinet that Israel may reach a point where it has to confront Iran without US support, i24NEWS reported on Tuesday.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting on Monday, Netanyahu said Israel could face a situation in which it would have to “deal alone with the Iranians,” without American backing and with the costs that would entail, including shortages of munitions and growing international isolation.
“We do not want to get there, but we know we could get there,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying.
IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir also reportedly warned ministers against the emerging agreement with Iran, saying: “As we see it now, almost any agreement is a bad agreement.”
The i24NEWS report came a day after Axios quoted US President Donald Trump as saying he had warned Netanyahu that Israel could be left to fight Iran alone if its attacks escalated into a full-blown war.
Israeli Air Force planes were on runways making final preparations for a third round of strikes against Iran on Monday morning before the White House intervened, Al-Monitor reported, citing diplomatic sources.
The report said the planned operation was expected to be more significant than two earlier strikes carried out at 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time in Tel Aviv.
Following a call from President Donald Trump, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Omer Tishler that Israel could not undermine Trump's efforts to secure a deal with Iran, according to the sources.
"We're on the same page," Netanyahu was quoted as saying. "Let's give him a chance."