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President Donald Trump has accused Iran of shooting down a United States Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, vowing a response even as both crew members were rescued safely following the incident.
"I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Tuesday. "There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack."
US Central Command confirmed the two soldiers were recovered within approximately two hours, rescued by an unmanned surface drone operated by Task Force 59 — a Bahrain-based unit specialising in unmanned maritime systems — before being hoisted to a manned helicopter for onward transport.
The incident marks the first loss of an Apache helicopter since hostilities with Iran began and arrives at a particularly delicate moment. Trump had said just hours earlier that Washington was in the final stages of a deal with Tehran, claiming a comprehensive agreement could be reached within days and that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately upon signing.
That optimism now appears severely tested. Iran has not claimed responsibility for downing the helicopter, and Tehran has yet to respond publicly to Trump's accusation.
The escalation follows a series of tit-for-tat exchanges that have strained the April 8 ceasefire to breaking point. Earlier this month, US forces struck Iran's Qeshm Island, prompting Iranian missile launches against a US base in Kuwait.
Minutes before Trump's post, Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a pointed warning on social media, writing that Iran speaks "other languages far more fluently" than diplomacy should its commitments be broken.
Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon continued Tuesday, further complicating an already volatile regional picture.
