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A United States military investigation found that an Iranian drone struck the American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter that crashed near the Strait of Hormuz on June 8, Axios reported, citing a senior American official.
The official told the news website the investigation had not yet determined whether the strike was intentional and that the matter remained under review.
However, another American official who spoke with Al-Arabiya said that there were indications that Iran deliberately targeted the helicopter.
The incident came following serious escalation over the weekend, with Iran and Israel exchanging their first direct strikes since the start of the ceasefire.
Both crew members were rescued around two hours after the helicopter went down off the coast of Oman, the U.S. Central Command said in a post on X. Later reports revealed that the pilot and weapon systems officer were rescued by a drone of the U.S. Navy.
Apaches have previously been used to attack Iranian small boats in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as to intercept drones launched from the Islamic Republic over the waterway and elsewhere in the Persian Gulf. A fully loaded “flyaway” helicopter of this type could cost well over $50 million.
U.S. President Donald Trump has already held Iran responsible, saying in a post to Truth Social that the Islamic Republic “shot down” the helicopter.
“the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he added, without elaborating on what a response might look like.
An Iranian official who spoke to Al-Jazzer has pushed back against the claims made by the U.S. military, saying that the helicopter was not flying over international waters.
More importantly, the official warned that the Islamic Republic would respond forcefully and immediately to any American attack.
Another warning came directly from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said that Iran prefers diplomacy but signaled that it is prepared to respond militarily.
“Iran prefers the language of diplomacy,” Araghchi posted on X. “However, as our Brave Warriors have shown to the world, we know how to speak other languages too.”
The U.S. could launch strikes against Iran within hours, but it is highly unlikely that the attack will be extensive. Still, the Islamic Republic will certainly respond, which could further complicate the situation. And with diplomatic efforts stuck, the war is just one miscalculation away from resuming.
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iran sure knows how to make a fool out the us right now. sure, the us has dominance in firepower and rules the skies and the seas, but iran really puts up a good fight.