US President Donald Trump said the US military had informed him that Iran shot down a US Army Apache helicopter that crashed off the coast of Oman.
Apache helicopter PHOTO: Archive
Donald Trump has announced that the US will retaliate against Iran after the regime shot down a US Apache helicopter patrolling the Strait of Hormuz.
“I have just been informed by our major armed forces that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while on patrol over the Strait of Hormuz.” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
US Central Command says two pilots have been rescued from a Middle Eastern sea area after their aircraft crashed off the coast of Oman. The president confirmed that Iran was responsible.
“Two pilots were involved, both are safe and unharmed. However, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”Trump said.
Trump had previously said he would end the truce and resume military strikes if the regime violated his red line: killing American soldiers.
Capt. Timothy Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command, said a US Navy drone, called a surface drone, found and rescued the crew. The drone picked them up and transported them to another location on the water, where the crew was boarded in a helicopter, writes CNN.
Pilots are injured
The rescued pilots' injuries are not serious and not life-threatening, but both servicemen required medical attention after their rescue.
It remains unclear exactly what the US response to the Iranian attack will be.
The incident marked the first loss of an Apache helicopter since the start of the conflict with Iran. Apache helicopters are primarily used for precision strikes, close air support and aerial reconnaissance, according to the Central Command website. The helicopters have previously been used to attack small Iranian craft as part of the US blockade of Iranian ports.
In early April, the US military had to launch a risky operation to rescue one of the pilots of a downed F-15E Strike Eagle in Iran.
Hundreds of US military and intelligence personnel, including special operations forces, participated in the secret mission.
Hostilities in the region escalated over the weekend, with Iran and Israel exchanging their first direct attacks in months.
Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which provides a fifth of the world's oil supply, with speedboats, sea mines and drones.
