US, Iran Exchange Strikes After Iran Downs US Helicopter Over Hormuz

The US and Iran have exchanged strikes after the US said an Apache helicopter was shot down over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

The Details: The US military said the two helicopter pilots were safely rescued by a drone boat. The US struck back and hit 20 targets inside Iran, according to Fox News (Right bias), which said it spoke to a "senior US official." Iran's Revolutionary Guards said they hit an American base in Jordan and 21 other targets in the Persian Gulf on Wednesday in response. Reuters (Center) framed the news as "one of the biggest exchanges in hostilities since the two countries agreed to a ceasefire in April."

For Context: Over the weekend, Israel and Iran exchanged strikes for the first time since the initial US-Israel-Iran ceasefire that was reached in early April and then announced a cessation of hostilities. Though there were many mainstream reports that the two nations were close to a ceasefire and nuclear deal in late May, just days thereafter, the two engaged in similar hostilities, with the US claiming its strikes were retaliatory. Earlier in the month, Iran had sent a counterproposal to a ceasefire offered by President Trump, though he said it was unacceptable.

How The Media Covered It: Outlets treated the US messaging that the strikes were an act of self-defense differently. For instance, Fox News wrote in its headline that the strikes were carried out "over [the] downed Army helicopter." The Qatari outlet Al Jazeera (Lean Left) used quotation marks when referring to the United States' claim that the attacks were in "self-defense." The New York Times (Lean Left) wrote the headline, "U.S. Launches Strikes on Iran; Tehran Claims Attacks on U.S. Fleet."

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