Trump Says Iran Downed U.S. Helicopter in Hormuz Strait, Vows Response

U.S. President Donald Trump addressed officially on Tuesday evening the incident in which an American Apache helicopter was downed in the Strait of Hormuz, saying that “the Iranians brought down one of our most sophisticated helicopters, which was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz.” Trump wrote on his Truth social network: “The incident involved two pilots, both were unharmed. Nevertheless, the United States must, naturally, respond to this attack.”

Shortly afterward, a senior American official told Saudi channel Al Hadath that an Iranian drone collided with the helicopter off the coast of Oman: “We assess that this was deliberate.” As a reminder, the New York Times reported overnight that a U.S. Army Apache attack helicopter crashed yesterday near the Strait of Hormuz, and that the two crew members were rescued safely. According to a source familiar with the details, the army did not know the cause of the crash near the time of the incident. Trump referred to the incident and said that an orderly report would be issued on the matter.

Meanwhile, Iran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Saeid Iravani, confirmed today that contacts between Washington and Tehran are still continuing and are being conducted with Pakistani mediation, as the two sides continue to exchange positions in an effort to reach final wording of an agreement. However, the chairman of the National Security Committee in the Iranian parliament, Ebrahim Azizi, told CNN that unlike the American president, he does not believe an agreement is near. “If we could be convinced that there is sincerity among the Americans,” he said, in a swipe at Trump, “especially the president of the United States, and if we could be sure that the Americans follow the rules of negotiations, we would have no problem holding such talks.”

When asked about the points of contention in the talks, Azizi denied Trump’s claims and said there is “no discussion” of issues related to nuclear matters. At the same time, he laid out the Islamic Republic’s conditions for an agreement, emphasizing the economic and financial sphere and the lifting of sanctions. He also referred to Lebanon and said, “Under no circumstances will we give up the axis of resistance.”