Iran Shoots Down US Apache Helicopter, US Attacks Qeshm Island in Retaliation

Iran has reportedly shot down a US Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, after which the United States carried out an attack on Iran’s Qeshm Island. US President Donald Trump blamed Iran for the helicopter incident and had warned of retaliation. After the US attack, Iran also warned that it would give a strong response, raising fears that the region could again move toward wider conflict. Iranian state media reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. The attack was focused on Qeshm Island, not Tehran or other major cities, and detailed information about human or physical damage has not yet been made public.

Trump said Iran had shot down one of America’s advanced Apache helicopters while it was patrolling over the strait. He said both soldiers on board were safe and uninjured. According to the US military, two crew members of the Apache helicopter that crashed near the coast of Oman on Monday were rescued early Tuesday morning. US Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said a 24-foot unmanned drone boat found the two pilots after they had spent nearly two hours in the water and took them to safety. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned through social media that foreign forces around Iran’s region are always at risk and said Iran prefers diplomacy but knows how to respond in other ways if necessary. The helicopter incident and the US attack have made the two-month-old ceasefire more fragile, while recent clashes around Hormuz and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have added further pressure to the April 8 ceasefire.