U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday Iran had shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz and vowed to respond, deepening doubts about prospects for peace between the two countries.
Trump said the two U.S. pilots involved in the incident were uninjured. U.S. Central Command said on X that two crew members from a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter was rescued after the aircraft went down near the coast of Oman. The helicopter was patrolling regional waters when the incident happened. American forces rescued both soldiers within about two hours of the crash.
The two crew members were reported to be in stable condition after the rescue. U.S. officials said the cause of the incident is still under investigation. The rescue operation was led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division. U.S. Air Force and Navy units also helped in the rescue mission. Support was provided by the U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 during the operation.
Apache helicopter cost, history and combat record
What went down near the strait wasn’t just any other helicopter, but millions of dollars of taxpayer money. Each Apache helicopter costs about $35 million to $40 million for the aircraft itself. When weapons, spare parts, training, and support packages are included, the total cost of an Apache helicopter can rise to $52 million to $100 million, The Independent reported. The U.S. military has previously used Apache helicopters against Iranian small boats in the region. U.S. officials have not said what caused the crash.
The AH-64 Apache first entered service in 1984 as the AH-64A model. The Apache is widely known as one of the world’s most advanced and battle-tested attack helicopters, as per Boeing. Apache helicopters have flown for more than 5.3 million hours since entering service. Out of those 5.3 million flight hours, more than 1.3 million hours were flown during combat missions, states Boeing. More than 1,300 Apache helicopters are currently operating around the world. The Apache is used by 19 countries, making it one of the most popular attack helicopters globally.
Apache crash cause still unknown
Authorities have not confirmed whether the helicopter was shot down by Iranian forces, suffered a mechanical problem, or crashed for another reason. A U.S. Navy surface drone located the crash site and helped rescue the two crew members, according to United States Central Command. The two pilots were rescued from the waters of the Strait of Hormuz within about two hours. Both crew members were reported to be in stable condition after the rescue, as noted by The Independent report.
President Donald Trump said the pilots were safe after the helicopter crashed into waters controlled by Iran. Trump said on Truth Social, “Nobody injured. We are going to issue a report tomorrow. But the pilots are fine.” The crash happened shortly after Iran and Israel announced they had stopped attacking each other following a request from Trump.
Also read: ‘US must respond’, says Trump after claim of Iranian attack on Apache helicopter
However, Iran warned that it could restart attacks if Israel continued targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel also warned it would strike Beirut if Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel. Iranian state media confirmed that the Apache helicopter crashed. Iranian media did not provide details about what caused the crash. The renewed conflict between Iran and Israel has created uncertainty around the U.S.-Iran peace negotiations.
Trump talks about Iran peace deal
Trump had said there is a “very good chance” of reaching a peace agreement with Iran within two or three days. He further added, “We have ongoing negotiations in Iran and with Iran. We could have at least an idea by one or two days from now, but I think it’s going well. The blockade continues to hold 100%. Nothing is getting through our blockade. No oil, no income, no nothing…”, as noted by AFP.
If Iran was involved in bringing down the helicopter, it could seriously damage chances of a peace deal. However, neither Washington nor Tehran has suggested that the crash was caused by a deliberate attack. Entering another major conflict would not be in the Trump administration’s interest because the war has already been expensive for the U.S., as noted by The Independent.
