Former US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran shot down a US Army Apache helicopter while it was conducting patrol operations in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the United States will respond to the incident.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump alleged that the attack was carried out by Iran and said Washington would “definitely retaliate.” He also stated that both pilots involved were rescued safely and were not injured.
According to the US military’s Central Command, the incident occurred at around 3:30 a.m. near the coast of Oman, when the helicopter went down under unclear circumstances. Following the crash, the two pilots were recovered after a two-hour search operation involving a 24-foot US unmanned naval drone boat named “Corsair.” Officials said this marked the first-ever rescue operation at sea conducted using an unmanned surface vessel in US military history.
Military authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, with no confirmation yet that hostile fire was involved.
Trump also told The Wall Street Journal that the incident was “not a major matter” since the pilots were safe. He added that there remains a strong possibility of reaching a diplomatic agreement with Iran, and suggested that economic pressure could be more effective than military strikes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected the allegations, denying Iranian involvement. He said the Strait of Hormuz is not international waters but a region belonging to Iran and Oman, and argued that the presence of foreign military forces in the area increases the likelihood of accidents and misunderstandings.
