Investigation underway following downed Army chopper near Strait of Hormuz

By Sarah Roderick-Fitch
The Center Square

An investigation is underway following a Monday evening downing of a U.S. Army Apache helicopter around the Strait of Hormuz, with President Donald Trump vowing a deal with Iran could be days away.

U.S. Central Command said the Army AH-64 Apache “went down near the coast of Oman” while patrolling regional waters. Both crew members were rescued “within approximately two hours” and remain in stable condition.

There’s no word on whether the incident was caused by enemy fire or by technical issues.

The region around the Strait of Hormuz has seen its fair share of exchanges of fire between the U.S. and Iran in recent weeks, with the Islamic Republic essentially holding the vital waterway hostage since the conflict began on Feb. 28.

Trump maintains a commitment to seeking a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, saying the U.S. could determine within a couple of days whether a deal can be struck.

Despite the U.S. and Iran exchanging fire multiple times, and the missile exchanges over the weekend between Israel and Iran, the president claims the ceasefire, which went into effect April 8, is still in effect.

Trump quashed concerns that the recent dust-up between Israel and Iran was putting the fragile ceasefire in further jeopardy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “was hit hard by Iran, and he hit back. I can’t blame him for that. Now they’ve called it quits, so they’re going to leave each other alone for another week or something,” the president told reporters Monday evening. “They both agreed, through me to stop.”

Trump claimed once again, as he has for weeks, that a deal is on the horizon, reiterating his demand that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.

“We’re in the final throes of a very good deal that will not allow, in any way or form nuclear weapons.” The president added.