Donald Trump has blamed Iran for downing a US army helicopter near the strait of Hormuz, warning that the US would be forced to respond to the attack.
The US army Apache helicopter gunship crashed off the coast of Oman early on Tuesday, according to US Central Command. The two crew members were later rescued in an unprecedented operation using an unmanned drone boat, the military said.
The cause of the crash was not initially revealed, but in a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Iran was responsible, and that Washington could not allow such an event to go unanswered.
“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,” the US president wrote. “There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to the attack.”
The helicopter went down as the Middle East was still reeling after Iran and Israel exchanged fire on Monday in the biggest blow yet to the strained ceasefire in the Iran war. Iranian state television reported on Tuesday that the Israeli attacks killed at least two members of the country’s air defence units.
Since the US and Israel began striking Iran on 28 February the war has shaken the global economy, forced up energy prices around the world and made many basics, including food, more expensive.
Officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into a deal to permanently end the conflict, particularly as Israel intensifies and expands its military campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia.
The crash happened at about 3.30am local time on Tuesday off the coast of Oman while the helicopter was on a patrol, US Central Command said.
An unmanned boat located the two aviators after they spent about two hours in the water, said a Centcom spokesperson, Capt Tim Hawkins. He said it was the first known drone rescue at sea by the US military.
Military officials did not say what caused the Apache helicopter to go down, saying the crash was under investigation. Trump said he had just learned Iran was responsible before posting his accusation on Tuesday.
AH-64 Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the American military as it enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers, seeking to put pressure on Tehran to make a deal. The helicopters have also been used by the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Iranian drones.
The drone used to perform the rescue was a 24ft (7.3-metre) vessel called a Corsair, Hawkins said.
Before Trump accused Iran of downing the US helicopter he had expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran, saying there was “a good chance” of signing a deal in “two or three days”. He did not provide any details on why there was reason for new optimism. In the two months since the US and Iran agreed to an initial ceasefire, Trump has repeatedly predicted a deal was near.
“We’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal,” the president said. “If we go and bomb – which we could do very easily if we want, and we spend another two or three weeks bombing – they’ll have nothing left whatsoever. But you won’t have the strait open for months.”
He added: “If we do the bombing, you know, a lot of people are going to be killed. Who wants to do that? I don’t.”
With reporting by the Associated Press
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