Iranian drone downed US Army helicopter, sources say

Two U.S. officials said the Army helicopter shot down off the coast of Oman was shot down by an Iranian drone.

Another source familiar with the incident said an Iranian Shahed drone hit the US helicopter. One of the US officials said it was not clear whether the drone was intentionally targeting the Apache helicopter.

The helicopter's two crew members were rescued by an unmanned drone, the US military said on Tuesday (9).

President Donald Trump posted on social media that the US military informed him that Iran shot down an Army Apache helicopter and that the US "must" respond.

"I have just been informed by our Armed Forces that last night the Iranians shot down one of our sophisticated Apache helicopters while it was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and unharmed," the president posted on Truth Social.

Trump says Iran shot down US helicopter and promises response to the attack | CNN 360º

"Even so, the United States must necessarily respond to this attack," he said.

Iran's unidirectional Shahed drones are known for flying low and slow - a characteristic that makes them better able to evade air defenses than ballistic missiles.

Understand how tension in Hormuz affects ceasefire between the US and Iran

Source: CNN