A US Army Apache attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump saying the two crew members on board were "fine" after the incident. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
The cause of the crash remained unclear. The Middle East was still reeling after Iran and Israel exchanged fire the previous day, straining the ceasefire in the Iran war. Iranian state media, relying on foreign reporting, acknowledged the crash without elaborating.
Since the US and Israel began striking Iran on Feb. 28, the war has shaken the global economy, driven up energy prices, and made many basics, including food, more expensive. The April ceasefire has not been turned into a permanent deal.
Trump, speaking to journalists at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, acknowledged the crash: "The pilots are fine. Yeah. Nobody injured. We are going to issue a report tomorrow. But the pilots are fine."
The New York Times first reported that a US Army Apache helicopter went down near the strait in unclear circumstances. The US military's Central Command and the Defense Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from AP.
Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the American military as it enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments. They have also been used by the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Iranian drones during the Iran war.