Trump Says US 'Must Respond' After Apache Helicopter Shot Down Near Strait of Hormuz
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said he had been informed that "last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz."
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States "must" respond after an American military Apache helicopter was shot down while patrolling near the Strait of Hormuz.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said he had been informed that "last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz."
Although both pilots survived the incident, Trump warned that "the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack."
The Apache helicopter crashed on Monday off the coast of Oman during a patrol mission over regional waters, marking the first U.S. Apache helicopter lost since the conflict began in late February.
According to the information released, both pilots were successfully rescued from the sea by a U.S. Navy Task Force 59 unmanned drone boat in what was described as the first autonomous rescue operation of its kind.
Iranian state media acknowledged that the incident had occurred, but Tehran has not claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also not issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The reported shootdown comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran, raising concerns that the latest confrontation could further escalate the ongoing conflict in the region.