US attack helicopter goes down near Strait of Hormuz; cause of crash unclear

Cause of crash unclear after American Apache helicopter lost near Strait of Hormuz; US says both crew members were rescued.

By World Israel News Staff

A US Army Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, with both crew members safely rescued, President Donald Trump said.

Trump confirmed early Tuesday that the crew had survived.

“The pilots are fine,” Trump told reporters at John F. Kennedy International Airport before returning to Washington. “Nobody injured.”

He said the administration would release a report on the incident later Tuesday.

Both crew members were rescued.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

The New York Times reported that officials had not determined whether the helicopter was brought down by Iranian fire, suffered a mechanical failure or encountered another problem.

The incident took place at a sensitive moment in the Gulf, less than a day after another round of direct Israeli-Iranian fire and amid continued US military activity around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes.

US Central Command has been operating in the area as part of Washington’s effort to challenge Iranian restrictions on maritime traffic and enforce a blockade around Iranian ports.

CENTCOM has publicized a series of operations in recent weeks involving naval, air and unmanned systems around the strait.

Apache helicopters, MQ-9 Reaper drones and F-35 fighter jets have been part of the US operation near Hormuz. Apaches have been used mostly for patrol missions but have also been operating more aggressively as US forces try to project pressure on Iran.

The helicopter crash came as the US was working to contain a renewed exchange between Iran and Israel. Iran fired missiles toward Israel after Israeli strikes linked to Hezbollah activity in Lebanon, while Israel responded by hitting Iranian air defense systems and a petrochemical site it said was tied to ballistic missile production.