An American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter crashed while on patrol near the Strait of Hormuz on June 8. The US President Donald Trump blamed Iran and promised a response.
The loss of the aircraft was confirmed by the US Central Command, The New York Times reports.
It was not immediately clear whether the helicopter was shot down by Iranians, or whether the crash was due to mechanical failure or other problems. The US militaryʼs Central Command said it was investigating the incident.
On the morning of June 9, Trump confirmed the accident and reported a successful rescue operation for the helicopter crew.
He later wrote on his Truth Social that Iran was responsible for shooting down a US helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz. According to him, there were two pilots on board the helicopter — they are alive. At the same time, Trump stressed that the US “is forced to respond to this attack”.
Apache helicopters, MQ-9 “Reaper” drones, and F/A-18 and F-35 fighter jets have been used by the US military to prevent Iran from blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has already shot down nearly 30 Reaper drones, and several US fighter jets have been lost in combat since February 28. However, the US has never lost its AH-64 Apache attack helicopters before.
War in the Middle East and negotiations between Iran and the US
On the morning of February 28, the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. These attacks killed Iranʼs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and almost the entire military leadership of the country — about 40 key high-ranking officials.
Iran, in response to the US and Israeli attacks, began shelling Arab countries where US bases are located, and Israel. The war also halted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea corridor between Iran and Oman that connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean. It was through it that almost a fifth of the worldʼs oil exports passed — tens of millions of barrels per day.
On April 8, the parties agreed to a two-week ceasefire. On April 13, the United States began a naval blockade of Iranian ports, demanding the complete unblocking of the Strait of Hormuz for all ships.
On April 17, Lebanon and Israel agreed to a ceasefire, after which Iran unblocked the Strait of Hormuz. However, on April 18, Iran reported that it was again blocking the Strait of Hormuz due to the US naval blockade. On the same day, Iran fired on several ships attempting to pass through the strait.
The United States and Iran have been exchanging blows periodically in recent weeks, but neither side has claimed to have violated the ceasefire, which remains in effect. In particular, on June 3, Iranian drones struck an airport in Kuwait, killing one person and suspending commercial flights. Iran said it struck a US base in Kuwait.
On the night of June 8, Iran attacked Israel with ballistic missiles for the first time since April — in response to Israelʼs attack on Beirut, Lebanon, which Tehran explained as a response to a strike by the Lebanese pro-Iranian Hezbollah.
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