President Donald Trump has warned of a U.S. response following Iran's claim that it shot down an American helicopter. The U.S. military reported that two crew members of an Apache attack helicopter, which crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, were rescued, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
On June 9, Trump stated on his social media platform Truth Social, "I received reports from the military that Iran shot down a high-performance Apache helicopter patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz last night." He added, "Both pilots are safe and unharmed," and emphasized, "The United States must respond to this attack."
According to U.S. Central Command, the Army's AH-64 Apache helicopter was conducting a patrol mission near the coast of Oman when it went down. The crew was rescued approximately two hours later. Central Command noted that the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged shootdown have not been officially confirmed. Axios reported, citing U.S. officials, that an Iranian drone collided with the helicopter, but it remains unclear whether this was a deliberate attack.
Reuters reported that a U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessel rescued the two crew members from the crash site, marking the first known instance of the military using an unmanned vessel for such a rescue operation.
Iran criticized U.S. operations near the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated on X, "The Strait of Hormuz is thousands of miles from the U.S. coast," adding, "Foreign military forces close to our territory are always exposed to human error, accidents, and the risk of misfire during engagements." He concluded, "The best way to reduce risks is to leave."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.