Trump Says Iran Downed US Apache Helicopter in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran was responsible for downing a U.S. Army Apache AH-64 helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz. The aircraft went down over water, and the crew was rescued approximately two hours later off the coast of Oman. U.S. Central Command said the crew's condition is stable. A senior U.S. official said the ongoing investigation has determined that an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle collided with the helicopter, causing it to crash. The official said investigators have not yet established whether the incident was intentional. CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said a U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessel located the crew in the water and carried out the rescue, describing it as the first use of such an unmanned vessel in a rescue operation of this kind. The crash occurred one day after Trump mediated a renewal of the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, following the first reciprocal strikes between the two countries after an April 8 ceasefire agreement. Trump called on both sides to exercise restraint and said the United States would respond militarily to Iran.