By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that US forces are launching a "very strong, very powerful" military response against Iran after the downing of an American military helicopter, as Iranian forces struck back with drone and missile attacks on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.

"They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak," Trump told ABC News. "This is a response to what they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is."

The US military said it had "completed" its retaliatory strikes against Iran. US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said on X that it had "completed self-defence strikes against Iran."

According to CENTCOM, US forces "struck Iranian air defence, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from US Air Force and Navy fighter jets."

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it launched multiple retaliatory attacks:

• Kuwait: A drone strike targeted the US 5th Navy base in Bahrain, with the IRGC warning of "heavier responses" if attacks continue. Kuwait's military confirmed its air defences were engaging "hostile aerial targets."

• Jordan: IRGC long-range missiles struck four sites at the US al-Azraq base, including F-35 fighter jet hangars and a command-and-control centre. Jordanian armed forces said they intercepted and shot down five missiles launched from Iran toward the Al-Azraq area, with debris falling on Jordanian territory but causing no injuries.

• US Navy in Bahrain: The IRGC's naval forces launched a drone strike on the Bahraini 5th Navy fleet at 2:30 am local time.

The IRGC said the attacks were a response to the US striking "several points in Jask, Sirik and Qeshm early this morning under false pretexts," which damaged a telecommunications mast in Sirik and destroyed two water tanks.

Iran's foreign ministry issued a stark warning to neighboring Gulf countries, saying they have a "legal and moral responsibility" to prevent American and Israeli strikes from being launched from their territory.

The ministry "reiterated the legal and moral responsibility of all countries in the region (especially those located along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf) to prevent the US military and Israel from using their territory or facilities to plan, organise, execute, or support hostile actions against Iran."

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a direct warning to US troops in the region.

"Despite its defeats on the battlefield, the US opted to test our determination," Araghchi wrote on X. "Leave our region if you want to be safe. The history of the Persian Gulf has many chapters on dire fates of intruding outsiders."

He vowed that Iran's military will "leave no attack or threat unanswered."

The exchange of strikes marks a dramatic escalation after weeks of relative calm following a US-Iran peace deal brokered by Pakistan just weeks ago. That agreement had included the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a commitment to de-escalation.

With US and Iranian forces now directly attacking each other's assets across the region – and Iran warning Gulf nations not to cooperate with Washington – the Middle East appears to have plunged back into open conflict. Global oil markets and world capitals are bracing for what comes next.