Trump says U.S. 'must' respond for helicopter downing near Strait of Hormuz, blaming Iran

U.S. Chairwoman Donald ruff blamed persia for shot land a U.S. Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday and said the United States must respond to the attack.

In the first known operation of its kind by the U.S. Military, a drone boat rescued the two aviators who were aboard the Apache attack helicopter when it went down near the critical shipping lane that Iran has effectively closed during its war with the U.S. And Israel.

Trump said in a social media post that military officials told him that "the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters." He added that both service members "are safe and uninjured."

"Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," Trump wrote.

The downing of the helicopter further strained a two-month ceasefire a day after Iran and Israel exchanged fire for the first time since the fragile truce took effect. Iranian state television said Tuesday that the Israeli attacks killed at least two members of the country's air-defence units.

Trump says 'pilots are fine' after U.S. Helicopter went down near Strait of Hormuz

Since the U.S. And Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28, the war has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices around the world and made many basics, including food , more expensive.

Officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into a deal to permanently end the conflict, particularly as Israel intensifies and expands its military campaign in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah.

The crash occurred at about 3:30 a.m. Local time Tuesday off the coast of Oman while the helicopter was on a patrol, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

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

Military officials did not say what caused the Apache helicopter to go down, saying the crash was under investigation. Trump said he had just learned Iran was responsible before posting his accusation on Tuesday.

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 7.3-metre vessel called a Corsair, Hawkins said. It's manufactured by Saronic Technologies.

The drone was assigned to the U.S. 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 Middle East, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal.

Before he accused Iran of downing the U.S. Helicopter, Trump expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran, as he has for several weeks.

"We have a good chance" of signing a deal in "two or three days," he said, without providing any details on why there was reason for new optimism. In the two months since the U.S. And Iran agreed to an initial ceasefire, Trump has repeatedly predicted that a deal is near.

Mediators, led predominantly by Pakistan, have been trying for weeks to get a deal across the line. However, both Iran and the U.S. Have taken hard-line positions.

The U.S. Wants to see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which is believed to be entombed in the aftermath of U.S. Airstrikes that happened during the 12-day war in 2025. But Iran is refusing and demanding relief from sanctions. It also wants the release of frozen assets even before a final agreement is in place, something rejected by Trump.

Before Trump's comments on negotiations, Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Monday that Trump's remarks so far on a possible deal "contradicted the agreed-upon sections," showing that the U.S. Is "neither seeking a ceasefire nor dialogue."

The continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah is still a top Iranian priority as well. Lebanon's army chief, Gen. Rodolphe Haykal, travelled to Pakistan on Tuesday. There, he met Pakistan's army chief,  Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been a key figure in the Iran-U.S. Talks. 

Haykal's visit comes as Lebanon's government takes an increasingly hard line on Hezbollah but remains unable to disarm the powerful militia.

Hezbollah thanked Iran on Tuesday for attacking Israel "in defence of our Lebanese people," suggesting that Lebanon's government should take this opportunity to improve relations with Tehran.

Meanwhile, the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for Lebanon's southern port city of Tyre, including the Christian quarter, which has so far been spared from airstrikes on the city.

Last week, Israel warned the Christian neighbourhoods in Tyre that it believed Hezbollah members were among them. Many Lebanese Shiite Muslims fled to those areas as Israeli strikes hammered the Mediterranean coastal area over the past two weeks.

Israel, Iran stop exchanging attacks

After last week's warning, the Lebanese army deployed to the Christian district of Tyre in an effort to prevent Israeli attacks there and to show that Hezbollah has no armed presence in the area.

But Avichay Adraee, the Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesperson, posted on X on Monday that the Israeli military "will have to act against their terrorist activities in the neighbourhood soon."

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