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US President Donald Trump has vowed to retaliate after accusing Iran of bringing down a US helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
In a post on social media, Trump said military commanders had informed him that “the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters.” He also said the helicopter’s two crew members survived the incident without injury.
“They are safe and uninjured,” Trump wrote.
“Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he added.
The incident marked the first publicly known use of a drone boat by the US military to recover personnel. The unmanned vessel rescued two aviators after their Apache attack helicopter crashed close to the strategic waterway, which Iran has largely shut to shipping during its conflict with the US and Israel.
The helicopter’s loss added to tensions surrounding a two-month ceasefire that came under renewed strain after Iran and Israel exchanged fire on Monday for the first time since the truce was agreed.
Iranian state media reported that Israeli strikes carried out on Tuesday killed at least two members of the country’s air-defence forces.
The conflict, which began on 28 February after US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, has had far-reaching economic consequences.
The fighting has unsettled global markets, pushed energy prices upwards and contributed to rising costs for everyday goods.
Additional sources • AP