WASHINGTON, June 9 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Iran of shooting down a U.S. Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and vowed to respond.
"I have just been informed ... that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache helicopters while (it was) patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
The two pilots aboard the helicopter were rescued and are "safe and uninjured," Trump said.
"Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack," he added.
However, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) appeared to offer a different account of the incident.
The two crew members were rescued within about two hours after their aircraft went down off the coast of Oman, CENTCOM said in a post on X earlier Tuesday, adding that "the cause of the incident is under investigation."
The incident occurred amid heightened regional tensions, as Israel launched a new strike on southern Lebanon on Tuesday following days of tit-for-tat attacks between Israel and Iran. ■