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‘US must respond’, says Trump after claim of Iranian attack on Apache helicopter
Donald Trump said that two pilots were involved in the incident and confirmed they were “safe and uninjured.”
Iranian forces shot down a military helicopter during a patrol over the Strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump has claimed. A US uncrewed naval drone boat rescued two crew members from the helicopter after it went down, officials said. Both the pilots on board survived, the US President said. Track live updates here
“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,” Trump said on Truth Social.
He added that two pilots were involved in the incident and confirmed they are “safe and uninjured.”
“Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he said. The incident was the first known loss of an Apache helicopter since the US and Israel's war on Iran began in February 28.
The incident is the latest flare-up of violence endangering the fragile Iran-US truce, which has repeatedly come under strain due to ongoing clashes across the region.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) earlier said that the cause of the incident was still under investigation. “The soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition,” CENTCOM sai
“The pilots are fine, nobody injured,” earlier Trump told reporters.
The US 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 serves as the Navy’s first operational artificial intelligence and unmanned systems task force. Created in 2021, it integrates autonomous vessels and drone technology, representing a first-of-its-kind capability within the US Navy.
Iran's latest retaliatory threat for Trump
Ahead of Trump’s post, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran’s parliament, warned the United States against violating its commitments.
“We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we speak other languages far more fluently. Break your commitments, and we’ll switch to what we speak best,” Ghalibaf said in a post on X on Tuesday.
Ghalibaf, a key figure in ceasefire negotiations, said that Tehran favours diplomacy but is prepared to respond if agreements are breached. “You ride the horse you saddled,” he said.
US-Iran peace deal updates
Trump previously said the US could be on track to declare “total victory” over Iran within the next two weeks. The US president claimed progress on nuclear-related assurances.
“They’re willing to give us everything, they’re willing to give us no nuclear weapon,” he said at a rally on Monday.
Israeli forces were reportedly preparing a major strike in Tehran on Monday when Trump intervened in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He asked him to stop, CNN reported citing an Israeli source and a US official. Following the conversation, Netanyahu announced Israel had accepted the US request to pause strikes on Iran, while still continuing to bomb Lebanon.
Trump told Axios he warned Netanyahu that continued strikes on Iran could risk diplomatic isolation for Israel.
Tensions remained elevated across the region. Tehran warned it would resume attacks on Israel if they continued to bomb Lebanon. Hours later, Israeli strikes reportedly killed five people in the region.
Iranian official Ebrahim Azizi said Tehran remained open to peace talks with the United States, but said that any agreement would depend on a shift in US behaviour.
Iranian officials issued strong warnings over regional shipping lanes. Tehran said they would maintain influence over the Strait of Hormuz and rejected European sanctions.
A Quds Force commander also spoke of building a “new security belt of resistance” stretching from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab al-Mandab.
