President Donald Trump has confirmed that Iran, on Monday, shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter patrolling the Strait of Hormuz, and vowed to retaliate.
Mr Trump, in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, however, stated that the U.S. military informed him about the incident, adding that the two pilots onboard were safe and unhurt.
He said, “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 must, of necessity, respond to this attack. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President Donald J. Trump.”
The Pentagon had also, in an earlier statement, explained that the helicopter was shut down near the coast of Oman.
The U.S. Army had targeted Iranian military infrastructure around the Strait of Hormuz and Iran.
In response, Tehran fired missiles and launched drone attacks against vessels passing through the strait and U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.
The latest development contradicts Mr Trump’s earlier claims that the U.S.-Iran peace deal has been practically finalised.