Iranian forces shot down a military helicopter during a patrol over the Strait of Hormuz, Donald Trump has claimed. The US President said that two pilots on board survived the incident. Track live updates here
“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 said in a statement.
He added that two pilots were involved in the incident and confirmed they are “safe and uninjured.”
“Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he said.
The incident is the latest flare-up of violence endangering the fragile Iran-US truce, which has repeatedly come under strain due to ongoing clashes across the region.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) earlier said that the cause of the incident was still under investigation. “The soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition,” CENTCOM said.
