President Donald Trump assured this Tuesday that Iran shot down a US military helicopter that was operating in the vicinity of the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that Washington will respond to the incident despite the fact that no casualties were reported.
Through his Truth Social network, Trump stated that the Apache helicopter was hit while carrying out patrol work in one of the most strategic maritime routes for the global oil trade.
"Two pilots were involved; both are safe and sound. However, the United States must necessarily respond to this attack," the president wrote.
The pilots were rescued by a drone
According to information from CBS News and the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), the two crew members of the AH-64 Apache helicopter were rescued after falling into the sea off the coast of Oman.
Military authorities reported that both soldiers are stable. The rescue was carried out by an unmanned surface drone operated by Task Force 59 of the US Fifth Fleet, in what officials described as the first water rescue mission of its kind by the US military.
However, CENTCOM said the official cause of the crash remains under investigation and did not publicly confirm that the aircraft had been shot down by Iranian forces.
So far, Iranian state media has reported on the helicopter crash, but has not acknowledged any responsibility for the incident.
