DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) – A drone boat rescued the crew of a U.S. Army attack helicopter that crashed early Tuesday near the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that Iran has effectively closed during the war, a U.S. military official said.
A 24-foot unmanned boat located the two aviators and brought them to shore after they spent about two hours in the water, said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.
Military officials have not said what caused the Apache helicopter to go down. A military news release on the incident said it was under investigation.
The crash occurred with the Middle East still reeling after Iran and Israel exchanged fire the previous day in the biggest blow yet to the straining ceasefire in the Iran war. Iranian state television reported Tuesday the Israeli attacks killed at least two members of the country’s air defense units.
U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged the crash while speaking to journalists at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after watching the NBA Finals on Monday night.
“The pilots are fine. Yeah,” Trump said. “Nobody injured. We are going to issue a report tomorrow. But the pilots are fine.”
The crash happened about 3:30 a.m. local time Tuesday off the coast of Oman while the helicopter was on a patrol, the U.S. military’s Central Command said.
AH-64 Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the American military as it enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers, seeking to pressure Tehran into a deal. The helicopters have also been used by the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Iranian drones.
Trump also expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran.
“We have a good chance” of signing a deal in “two or three days,” Trump said. But he didn’t provide any details on why there was reason for new optimism. In the two months since the U.S. and Iran agreed to an initial ceasefire, Trump has repeatedly predicted that a deal is near.
“We’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal,” the president said. “If we go and bomb – which we could do very easily if we want, and we spend another two or three weeks bombing – they’ll have nothing left whatsoever. But you won’t have the strait open for months.”
He added: “If we do the bombing, you know, a lot of people are going to be killed. Who wants to do that? I don’t.”
