President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the U.S. will “respond” as he accused Iran of shooting down an Apache helicopter that was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz.
The two pilots involved in the attack “are safe and uninjured,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
Trump did not say what form the U.S. response would take. But his post signaled that conflict with Iran was about to ramp up once again, despite him claiming hours earlier that a deal with Tehran could be reached as soon as this week.
The two sides are in the final stages of a “very, very good deal” that will stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons and fully reopen the Hormuz Strait “immediately upon signing,” Trump said after leaving an NBA Finals game in New York City late Monday night.
Such a deal could be signed “in two or three days,” Trump added. But he has repeatedly claimed throughout the war, which crossed the 100-day mark on Sunday, that the U.S. and Iran were on the cusp of signing a deal. No deal has emerged.
U.S. Central Command earlier Tuesday revealed that the American AH-64 Apache had gone down “near the coast of Oman” on Monday evening ET.
Centcom did not initially blame Iran for the downing, saying in a statement that the incident is under investigation.
The two soldiers involved in the crash were rescued within about two hours by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, Centcom’s post said.
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