US-Iran War as it happened: US launches strikes over downing of helicopter

That’s where we will pause our live coverage of the Middle East conflict for now, but we will pick it up again if more breaking news comes to hand.

Here are the key events from today:

• The US launched strikes in “self-defence” after it was revealed a US helicopter was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz. Officials said the helicopter was hit by an Iranian drone, but that the two crew members were rescued.
• The coastal Iranian city of Sirik, as well as in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm. There have been no reports of any injuries or deaths at this stage.
• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated his wish for peace in the region, saying the global economy was being hit every day that the war continued without a resolution.
• Air raid sirens were heard in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, potentially because of missiles launched by Iran during the night. There have been no reports of damage in any of these countries.

Despite the latest strikes in the Middle East from both sides casting doubt over whether the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened anytime soon, Australia’s financial markets have not been overly troubled by events today.

The Australian Securities Exchange has remained more or less unmoved today, rising slightly by 3.50 points, or 0.04 per cent, since trading opened this morning.

However, any drastic changes to the global oil price could change this quickly.

It should be noted the United States waited until after 4pm local time to report their strikes.

That is because Wall Street had closed by then, meaning it would not suffer from panicked reactions from traders.

It is a common theme of the Trump administration, with operations in Venezuela, as well as the beginning of the Iran war happening on a Saturday, when Wall Street was not trading.

Jordan has also faced Iranian strikes today, according to Associated Press reports.

The country’s military announced it had been forced to shoot down five missiles that were targeting areas where air bases were located.

These air bases reportedly host US forces.

The reports come just hours after Kuwait reported intercepting Iranian missiles and air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain.

Sirens have sounded in Kuwait early this morning, with residents urged to head to a safe place, the Gulf Kingdom’s military said in a statement.

“Kuwait’s air defense systems are currently intercepting hostile aerial targets in accordance with approved operational procedures,” the statement said.

The military told residents to “adhere to the safety and security instructions and guidelines issued by the relevant authorities, and to obtain information from official approved sources”.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards previously said they targeted US military assets in the region following the latest round of US strikes, which were themselves in response to the downing of a US Army helicopter.

Iran’s latest move makes the ever-fragile ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran look even more precarious, amid President Donald Trump’s stuttering attempts to secure a deal to end months of conflict.

US President Donald Trump has just posted an excerpt from well-known television show The West Wing to seemingly justify the United States’ response to Iranian aggression in the Strait of Hormuz.

He posted a 90-second clip from an episode of the show, which is a fictional look at what it is like to work in the White House for the president, in this case called Josiah Bartlett, played by Martin Sheen.

In the clip, Bartlett is told to come up with a “proportional response” to a plane being blown up by the Syrian government, an idea which he shows disdain for.

“What is the value of a proportional response?” he asks his political and military aides, lamenting the fact his enemies know the United States will not respond as strongly to aggression.

He then urges his allies to come up with a “disproportional response” - essentially asking to fight fire with fire.

Attached to the clip is a statement from US Central Command, saying their strikes today were in “self defence”.

It’s worth noting that in The West Wing episode, President Bartlett was later talked down from a “disproportional response” and chose a calmer course of action.

The global oil market is grappling with the loss of one billion barrels of crude supply since the war began, according to new research.

Every additional month of the conflict adds about 350 million barrels to cumulative losses, says business intelligence company Rystad Energy.

“With 11.8 million barrels per day (bpd) shut in across six Gulf producers, the conflict has become the most severe supply disruption in the modern oil era,” said researcher Aditya Saraswat.

Before the war broke out in late February, crude oil output across the six oil producing nations in the Gulf stood at 24 million barrels daily, but that has now crumbled to 12 million.

The number of oil tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz has also dwindled from a pre-war 120 vessels per day to just a handful today.

An air raid alert has been issued in Bahrain, with residents urged to take shelter.

“The alarm siren has been activated. We urge citizens and residents to remain calm, head to the nearest safe location, and follow updates through official channels,” the interior ministry wrote on X.

Since the war began, Iranian missiles and drones have targeted US bases in Bahrain.

US military commanders say strikes targeting Iranian military installations in response to the downing of an American army helicopter have been completed.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) wrote on X the operations were carried out at the direction of commander-in-chief President Donald Trump.

“CENTCOM forces struck Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from US Air Force and Navy fighter jets. The operation was a proportional response to recent attacks on US forces and international commercial ships transiting regional waters.

“US forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has failed to answer when questioned whether Donald Trump had told him the US would launch fresh strikes against Iran.

“I don’t comment on national security matters,” he told reporters this morning.

“I received some briefings this morning, and one of the things I say is, we continue to call for a de-escalation of the conflict. It’s having an impact here.”

A leading Republican politician says he was in the White House Situation Room with Trump and other officials when the strikes on Iran were given the green light.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told Associated Press the military operations were “targeted” and “defensive in nature”.

“We lament that has become necessary,” Johnson said.

But he said after Iran struck US assets and personnel in the Middle East, “we can’t allow that.”

The vice president, secretary of state, defence secretary and the CIA director were in the Situation Room with Trump when the strikes were ordered, Johnson said.