US President Donald Trump has vowed to respond after accusing Iran of shooting down a US military Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh fears that the fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Israel could collapse.
Trump disclosed on Tuesday that the attack occurred the previous night, saying the helicopter was conducting patrol operations when it was brought down. He noted that the crew members survived the incident without injuries but insisted that the United States would retaliate.
“The United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” Trump said in a statement.
The Apache helicopter is the second crewed American aircraft confirmed to have been shot down since the outbreak of hostilities, following the loss of an F-15 fighter jet in April.
The latest escalation came just hours after Trump expressed optimism that negotiations aimed at ending the conflict were nearing completion.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned Washington against violating its commitments.
We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we speak other languages far more fluently. Break your commitments, and we’ll switch to what we speak best,” Ghalibaf wrote on X.
The tensions follow a ceasefire that has been in place since April 8 after weeks of hostilities triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Although both sides halted attacks on Monday, concerns remain over the stability of the truce.
Trump told reporters earlier on Tuesday that diplomatic efforts were making progress and predicted that a deal could be reached within days.
“Iran and Israel were going back and forth and now they both agreed through me to stop, and we’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal,” he said.
When asked how soon an agreement could be finalized, Trump replied that it could happen within “two or three days.”
Following his comments, global oil prices dropped by about five percent, slipping below $90 per barrel.
Lebanon Remains Flashpoint
Despite Iran’s calls for a broader ceasefire that includes Lebanon, Israel continued military operations against Hezbollah.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said an Israeli airstrike on the southern city of Tyre killed at least eight people on Tuesday.
The Israeli military later warned residents to evacuate the area, triggering heavy traffic as civilians fled northward.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported strikes on more than a dozen locations across the south, while eyewitnesses described scenes of panic among residents.
Iran launched nearly 30 missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah positions in Beirut.
Israel retaliated with strikes on military sites inside Iran despite Trump’s efforts to discourage Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from escalating the conflict.
Iranian state media reported that three people, including two members of the country’s Air Defence Force, were killed in Israeli strikes on Monday.
No casualties were reported in Israel.
Tehran also announced that its international airport had reopened after temporary closure caused by the missile exchanges, allowing flights carrying Muslim pilgrims returning from Saudi Arabia to resume.
On another front, the Israeli military said it intercepted an aerial target launched from Yemen early Tuesday, adding that no casualties were recorded.
The latest developments underscore the fragile nature of the ceasefire and the growing uncertainty surrounding diplomatic efforts to end the conflict, with fears mounting that another round of military retaliation could push the Middle East back into full-scale war.
