US President Donald Trump has officially confirmed the incident involving the loss of a combat helicopter in the Persian Gulf. In his Truth Social account, the head of state stated that the AH-64 Apache military helicopter was shot down by Iranian forces.
Incident Details
According to Trump's statement, the attack occurred last night. The helicopter was conducting a patrol over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The President emphasized that the information came directly from US military departments.
"I was just informed by our great military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our high-tech Apache helicopters," Trump wrote.
A key point of the message was the confirmation that both pilots on board were rescued and unharmed as a result of the incident. The President called the rescue operation successful.
Washington's Reaction
Trump did not leave the incident without consequences, stating the need for a response. The American leader emphasized that the US must react to this attack, although specific measures were not disclosed in the message.
This case became the first confirmed destruction of American equipment since the beginning of the escalation of the conflict with Iran. Earlier, on June 8, The New York Times reported on the crash of a helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz, however, the exact causes of the accident remained unknown until Trump's statement.
Geopolitical Context and Economic Losses
Issues related to Iran cause disagreements even within the US administration. Vice President JD Vance admitted that the views of Washington and Jerusalem on the Iranian issue differ. For the United States, the main priority remains signing a nuclear agreement with Tehran.
The economic component of the conflict also raises concerns. Using the operation in Iraq as an example, where daily expenses reached half a billion dollars, experts note that current losses from strikes on American facilities could be significantly higher. The amount depends on the type of destroyed equipment and the scale of the attacks.