US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that Iran had shot down a US Apache helicopter that was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz overnight and vowed retaliation, casting doubt on his previous claims that Washington and Tehran were on the verge of reaching an agreement to permanently end the fighting.

“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 on Truth Social. “There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured.

“Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he continued, without elaborating on what the response could look like.

Trump however also downplayed the incident during a phone interview Tuesday with Wall Street Journal, saying the downing of the helicopter “wasn’t a big deal” and that “the pilot is fine.” The report did not specify whether Trump made the comments before or after he declared the US “must” respond.

The development came just a day after the US restored a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, although both countries hinted on Tuesday at the possibility of further military action down the road, if deemed necessary.

A major US response to the downing of the helicopter may harm efforts to achieve that deal, which Trump for weeks has claimed is on the verge of being signed despite little to no outward signs of progress having been made.

The fact that Trump is telegraphing Washington’s plans to respond to Iran indicated, however, that he was still trying to prevent the talks from collapsing completely.

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

It went down near the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping lane that Iran has effectively closed since the start of its war with the US and Israel on February 28.

An unmanned boat located the two aviators after they spent about two hours in the water, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for CENTCOM. He said it was the first known drone rescue at sea by the US military.

US military officials have not confirmed Trump’s account of the helicopter having been shot down by Iran, saying the cause was still under investigation.

AH-64 Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the American military as it enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers, seeking to pressure Tehran into a deal. The helicopters have also been used by the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Iranian drones.

The drone used to perform the rescue was a 24-foot (7.3-meter) vessel called a Corsair, Hawkins said. It’s manufactured by Saronic Technologies.

The drone was assigned to the Navy’s Task Force 59, established in 2021 as the Navy’s first uncrewed and artificial intelligence unit that focuses on maritime security in........

© The Times of Israel