Trump blames Iran for Apache helicopter attack, says US must respond "of necessity"

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday blamed Iran for shooting down an American Apache ‌helicopter that ⁠was ⁠patrolling the Strait of Hormuz overnight and vowed to respond.

"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 wrote in a ⁠post on Truth Social.

"Nevertheless, the United States must, of ​necessity, respond to this attack," he added.


Also read: US Army Apache helicopter crashes near Strait of Hormuz

Trump's comments come after a drone boat rescued the crew of the Apache attack helicopter that crashed near the strategic waterway, which Tehran has effectively closed during its war with the US and Israel.

The US President said that both service members “are safe and uninjured.”

US Army crew members picked up by drone boat

The Apache helicopter crash happened about 3:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday off the coast of Oman while the helicopter was on a patrol, according to US Central Command.

It was the first known drone rescue at sea by the US military, Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for US Central Command told AP. He added the unmanned boat located the two aviators and brought them to shore after they spent about two hours in the water.

However, military officials did not disclose what caused the Apache helicopter to go down, saying the crash was 'under investigation'.

Apache helicopters, a key asset for US military

AH-64 Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the US military, including its usage to enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers.

The drone used to perform the rescue was a 24-foot (7.3-meter) vessel called a Corsair, Hawkins said.

Earlier in May, the US Central Command announced the destruction of six Iranian fast boats with the help of deployment of Sea Hawk and Apache attack helicopters.

According to a statement shared on X, the helicopters "were used to eliminate Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping" during active US operations in the region.

'US very close to a strong. powerful deal'

Earlier on Tuesday, Trump expressed high optimism regarding ongoing diplomatic engagements with Tehran, asserting that Washington is on the verge of securing a major breakthrough.

He made these remarks to journalists as he was leaving New York after watching a basketball game a little earlier. "I think we're ... very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal," Trump said.

Speaking about the options available to Washington, the US President noted that while military action remains an option, it carries significant long-term consequences for regional stability and trade corridors.

"If we go and bomb, which we can 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 said.

"If we do the bombing, you know a lot of people are going to be killed. Who wants to do that? I don't, and ... we'll have a signed document that's actually stronger than doing the bombing," he added.

He further argued that the current enforcement measures have yielded far greater leverage than a sustained aerial campaign, severely impacting the adversary's domestic stability.

"What has proven to be a very powerful thing is the blockade. The blockades turned out to be much stronger than bombing, and it was really a combination with our initial thrust and then the blockade, but you know their economy is really suffering, and they're going to make a deal."

(With inputs from The Associated Press)