A U.S. military rescue at sea just turned into another flashpoint between Washington and Tehran. Donald Trump said Tuesday that Iran shot down an American AH-64 Apache helicopter while it was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping lanes.
According to Reuters, U.S. Central Command said the helicopter went down near Oman’s coast around 3 a.m. local time while operating in regional waters.
“The Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that he had been briefed by the military.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured,” he continued. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
A U.S. official told NBC News that early indications pointed to an Iranian drone bringing down the aircraft. CENTCOM initially said the cause was still under investigation, and Reuters reported that the command described both soldiers as stable after the rescue.
The rescue itself added another layer to the story. Capt. Tim Hawkins said a Task Force 59 unmanned surface vessel found and retrieved the two crew members, marking a first for American forces. “The task force began fielding these drones in theater in late March,” Hawkins said. Reuters also quoted him saying, “The drone picked them up and transported them to another location on the water where they were hoisted up to a helicopter for further transport.”
The Strait of Hormuz is not just another body of water. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said oil flows through the strait in 2024 equaled about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption, while the International Energy Agency calls it one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints.
Trump had told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, “We have the best offense anyone’s ever seen. So I don’t consider it danger,” while discussing U.S. troops in the region. “But I think we’ll keep them there until such time as we have a completion.”
Hours before the helicopter claim, Trump also suggested a deal with Iran was close. “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,” he said.
“The strait will open up right away. It’ll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days,” Trump added, saying a deal could happen “in one hour, if you want to know the truth.”
Asked about sticking points, he said, “I think we’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal,” calling it “actually stronger than doing the bombing.”
Slug: iran-apache-hormuz
Has the actual cause of helicopter crash been verified? Or, is the DJT-led political War Department acting unilaterally to support the DJT War Machine?