Iran FM Urges Foreign Forces to Leave Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday urged foreign military forces to leave the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, warning that their presence increases the risk of accidental confrontation and escalation.

In a post on X, Araghchi said the strategic waterway "is NOT international waters but shared between Iran and Oman," adding that foreign forces operating near Iranian territory face "constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire."

"To reduce risk, best solution is for them to leave," he wrote.

The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed that the United States would respond following allegations that Iran shot down an American Apache military helicopter while it was patrolling near the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement posted on Truth Social earlier on Tuesday, 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 said 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.

Iranian state media acknowledged that the incident had taken place, but Tehran has not claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has not issued an official statement on the matter.

The reported shootdown and Araghchi's latest warning underscore the growing tensions between Washington and Tehran, fueling concerns that the confrontation could further escalate and threaten security in one of the world's most strategically important maritime corridors.