Iran shot our Apache helicopter near Hormuz, says Trump, promises ‘US will respond to attack’
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran shot our Apache helicopter near Hormuz, says Trump, promises ‘US will respond to attack’")
The soldiers had been rescued within around two hours of the incident, said Central Command. Photograph: (AFP)
The two pilots of the Apache helicopter shot down by Iran were rescued by an unmanned surface drone operated by Task Force 59, based within the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said. It was the first time a drone had been used for a water rescue.
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Iran had shot down a highly sophisticated Apache helicopter while it was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz and vowed that the US would “respond to this attack.”
“The Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” he said in a Truth Social post, adding that he had been briefed by the military on the situation.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured,” he said. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” Trump added.
Earlier, Central Command said two crew members were rescued by an unmanned boat—a first for American forces—after the aircraft went down off the coast of Oman.
Pilots rescued by unmanned surface drone
The pilots were rescued by an unmanned surface drone operated by a special department called Task Force 59, based within the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said. It was the first time a drone had been used for a water rescue.
Both soldiers were receiving medical care, he said, adding, “The task force began fielding these drones in theatre in late March.”
In a separate statement on X, CENTCOM had said the soldiers had been rescued within around two hours of the incident and were in stable condition. It said their US Army AH-64 Apache was patrolling regional waters and that the cause of the incident was under investigation.
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A US official said the injuries of the pilots were not serious or believed to be life-threatening, but both required medical attention.
Iranian media appeared to acknowledge the incident, with the semi-official Mehr News Agency reporting Tuesday that no claim of responsibility had been made by Iran. The Revolutionary Guard was yet to issue a statement.
The US stock market turned sharply lower following Trump’s announcement, with the Nasdaq falling 3 per cent.
Iran and Israel had exchanged their first direct attacks recently since the April truce, threatening a return to all-out war in the Middle East.
The two adversaries later stepped away from the clash after Trump’s intervention.
Speaking earlier to reporters on Tuesday about a potential deal with Iran, Trump said, “We’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not allow in any way, shape or form nuclear weapons.”
“The strait will open up right away. It’ll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days,” he said, though he said that the deal could even be done “in one hour, if you want to know the truth.”
Trump has vowed to restore traffic through the vital shipping lane as part of a deal to end the war.
