Iran Shoots Down US Apache Helicopter in Strait of Hormuz; Crew Members Rescued, US Strikes Back

US President Donald Trump announces that Washington will retaliate against Iran for shooting down a military helicopter last night over the Strait of Hormuz.

“I have just been informed by our great military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured,” Trump writes on Truth Social.

“Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” Trump adds, without elaborating on what a response might look like.

But Israel is prevented from retaliation (or minimized its retaliation) when it is attacked.

"I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States… pic.twitter.com/yMGXqG89ax

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 9, 2026

The two crewmembers were rescued by a drone-boat. Central Command: At 7:33 p.m. ET on June 8, two crew members from a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by American forces after their helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters. The Soldiers were safely rescued within approximately two hours and are in stable condition. The cause of the incident is under investigation. Rescue efforts were led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, with support from U.S. Air Force and Navy units including U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59 (CENTCOM).

More details on the rescue: The crew of a U.S. Apache attack helicopter shot down by Iran was rescued by a drone-boat known as Corsair. It was a first-of-its-kind operation, with incredibly high stakes…. Saronic advertises Corsair as autonomous. It was not immediately clear how it maneuvered during the rescue mission. It was operated by the Navy’s Task Force 59, which was established in 2021 to experiment with unmanned tech and artificial intelligence and fold them into naval operations. Navy leadership has for years advocated for a hybrid fleet, or a mix of manned and unmanned ships. The Corsair, unveiled in October 2024, is 24 feet long. It can travel 1,000 nautical miles, carry 1,000 pounds and hit speeds greater than 35 knots (Axios).

 

US strikes Iran after an Apache helicopter shot down over the Strait of Hormuz

The United States launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets following the downing of an American Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump directly… pic.twitter.com/XWluyWjZ5O

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 10, 2026

In response the USA just launched “self-defense strikes against Iran” in response to “yesterday’s downing of an Apache helicopter”

The explosions are reported from Qeshm island, Sirik, Bandar Abbas and 2 other locations near the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets following the downing of an American Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump directly attributed to Tehran. According to the Pentagon, American forces targeted Iranian air defense systems, ground control stations, and radar installations. U.S. Central Command announced the completion of the operation three hours after it began. In response, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed to have attacked 21 targets on US military bases in the region, including sites in Bahrain and Jordan. Kuwait reported intercepting incoming attacks. American officials have not yet commented on reports of attacks on their bases, and it is unclear whether any damage was caused. However, according to local authorities, an air alert was declared in Bahrain, and the Iranian attacks were repelled.

That description comes straight from CENTCOM: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began launching self-defense strikes against Iran at 5 p.m. ET today at the Commander in Chief’s direction, in response to yesterday’s downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter. The mission is a proportional response to unjustified Iranian aggression (CENTCOM).

Tuesday evening we heard of a second and third round of retaliatory strikes. Barak Ravid of Axios: Third round of strikes now, per U.S. official. (Ravid). Jonathan Karl of ABC News: I was on the phone with Trump as CENTCOM announced US retaliatory strikes against Iran.  Here’s what he said: “I think it’s very important to respond. They shot down a helicopter, and we are responding as we speak.” He added: “This is a response to what they did they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that’s what this one is” (Karl).

Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies: President Trump is right to respond. But the more effective strategy is to impose—and support Israel’s right to impose—overwhelming costs on the regime in Tehran and its terror network. The lesson: perceived weakness invites aggression. Strength restores deterrence. Escalate to de-escalate (Dubowitz).

US strikes Iran after an Apache helicopter shot down over the Strait of Hormuz

The United States launched a series of strikes against Iranian targets following the downing of an American Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, which President Donald Trump directly… pic.twitter.com/XWluyWjZ5O

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) June 10, 2026

NY Post:

Consider: Trump told the press just hours before that attack, “We’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal.”

Does it feel like an Iran deal is getting closer?
A country that’s “very close” to sealing a deal in good faith doesn’t escalate against its negotiating partner.

This leaves us wondering which presidential advisers are leading him down this garden path to likely humiliation.

By one count, he’s said “nearly there” 38 times since he announced that “almost all” of the points of contention “have been agreed to” and that a “two-week period” should allow the deal to be “consummated.”

We’re now 10 weeks into that “two-week period,” and everything’s going backward.

Back then, those final issues were: 1) setting verifiable procedures for the end of Iran’s nuke program, and 2) securing permanent free passage through the Strait of Hormuz — with any benefits to Iran (beyond the end of US-Israeli bombing) to come later.

Now, suddenly, getting to the deal somehow has Washington telling Jerusalem it can’t respond to Hezbollah’s missile attacks out of Lebanon.

Bare minimum, Trump’s public bragging about ordering Israel around sure makes it look like he’s appeasing Iran’s outrageous demands.

It’s what the Iranians do: Claim they could give us what we want, stall on actually delivering it (in this case, on any way to hold them to a no-nukes promise) by never giving an inch unless they take it back a day or three later — meanwhile ginning up side issues and manipulating the other side into delivering in advance on those demands in the foolish belief that a final deal will then be possible.

Trump’s negotiators are falling into the same old trap as Carter and Barack Obama.

Are they telling him the blockade will force the regime to bend? Sorry: Iran’s leaders are perfectly willing to let the people suffer. (Heck, they proved in January that they’ll slaughter civilians in the street!) The elites can keep on living the high life, just as they do in impoverished North Korea.

A sign Trump’s getting terrible advice is his assertion Monday night that if “we spend another two or three weeks bombing, they’ll have nothing left whatsoever,” but then “you won’t have the Strait open for months.”

How’s that? 

And why is just reopening the Strait not a legitimate military aim to take away the regime’s leverage?