Trump vows revenge on Iran for Apache shoot-down
A US attack helicopter was destroyed overnight while patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, the president has said
Iran has downed a US AH-64 Apache attack helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald Trump has claimed, pledging to retaliate for the incident “of necessity.”
Earlier on Tuesday, the US Central Command said the helicopter “went down” off the coast of Oman while “patrolling regional waters.” The military did not name the cause for the destruction of the aircraft, stating only that its two pilots were rescued around two hours later, and that the incident is under investigation.
Iran has so far kept silent despite its apparent policy of widely publicizing interception of hostile aircraft in repeated run-ins with the US military amid a shaky ceasefire. Trump, however, squarely pinned the blame for the destruction of the helicopter on Tehran, pledging to retaliate.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” Trump wrote on his TruthSocial platform.
Ahead of Trump’s announcement, media reports indicated the US military investigation had not been able to establish whether the destruction of the aircraft was intentional. An unnamed US official told Axios the helicopter collided with an Iranian drone in mid-air. The ensuing rescue operation involved maritime drones for the very first time, CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins told the outlet.
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