United States President Donald Trump has vowed to respond after accusing Iran of shooting down a US military Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh concerns over the fragile ceasefire between Washington, Tehran and Israel.
Trump made the announcement on Tuesday, just hours after expressing optimism that negotiations aimed at ending the Middle East conflict were nearing completion.
In a statement, the US president said he had been informed that Iranian forces brought down a US Apache helicopter during a patrol mission over the strategic waterway.
“I have been informed that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said.
Although no crew members were injured in the incident, Trump warned that the United States would take action.
“While the crew members were uninjured, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he added.
The Apache helicopter is the second crewed US aircraft confirmed to have been shot down by Iran during the ongoing conflict, following the loss of an F-15 fighter jet in April.
The development threatens a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 8 as both countries continue negotiations aimed at ending hostilities.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator in talks with Washington, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned the United States against violating its obligations.
“We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we speak other languages far more fluently. Break your commitments, and we’ll switch to what we speak best. You ride the horse you saddled!” Ghalibaf wrote on X.
The latest tensions come after Iran and Israel suspended attacks that had threatened to reignite a regional war triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Despite the ceasefire, both sides have continued to exchange warnings, with Iran insisting that any permanent halt to the conflict must include a truce in Lebanon, where Hezbollah became involved after launching rockets into Israel on March 2.
Israel responded with a sustained military campaign involving airstrikes and ground operations that have reportedly killed more than 3,600 people.
The conflict escalated again on Sunday when Iran launched missiles at Israel in response to Israeli strikes targeting Hezbollah positions in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Israel later carried out retaliatory attacks despite Trump’s reported efforts to discourage Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from further military action.
Netanyahu later stated that the “fire on that front is contained,” shortly after Tehran announced it had halted its military operations.
However, both countries warned that fighting could resume at any time.
Speaking to reporters earlier on Tuesday, Trump expressed confidence that diplomacy was making progress.
“Iran and Israel were going back and forth and now they both agreed through me to stop and we’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal,” he said.
When asked about the timeline for a possible agreement, Trump replied that it could be achieved within “two or three days.”
Following the remarks, global oil prices reportedly fell by about five per cent, dropping below $90 per barrel.
The conflict has significantly disrupted shipping activities through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
In the latest exchange of attacks, Iran launched nearly 30 missiles at Israel, according to the Israeli military, while Israel carried out strikes on military facilities inside Iran.
Iranian state media reported that three people, including two members of the Army Air Defence Force, were killed in Israeli strikes on Monday. Israeli authorities reported no casualties from the Iranian missile attacks.
Tehran’s international airport, which had been temporarily closed during the missile exchanges, reopened on Tuesday, allowing flights carrying Hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to resume operations.
Meanwhile, fighting continued in Lebanon despite calls for restraint.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on the southern city of Tyre killed at least eight people on Tuesday. The Israeli military had earlier warned residents to evacuate the city.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported a “heavy strike” on Tyre and air raids targeting more than a dozen locations across southern Lebanon.
On another front, the Israeli military said it intercepted an aerial target launched from Yemen early Tuesday, adding that no casualties were recorded.
