Daily brief
The United States and Iran exchanged military strikes after an American Apache helicopter was shot down near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have downed an MQ-9 drone in the same area, while President Donald Trump accused Tehran of the attack and ordered strikes on Iranian positions. Iran retaliated by striking US bases in the Gulf region, including targets in Jordan and Kuwait, and claimed to have hit 21 American military targets. Both sides reported casualties and damage, marking a significant escalation in direct military confrontation.
A US missile strike on a tanker off the coast of Oman killed two Indian seafarers, prompting India to protest and summon the US envoy.
At least 12 people were killed and nine injured in a mass shooting near Johannesburg, South Africa, as police hunt for more than 10 gunmen.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Cuba against acquiring weapons during a visit to Guantánamo Bay and declared that the US would bomb key facilities in Iran.
Taiwan test-fired a US-supplied mobile rocket launching system in a drill directed toward China.