Washington, United States. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that two U.S. pilots were unharmed after their helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz. The New York Times reported that the crew of an Apache gunship had been rescued after the aircraft went down near the Iran-controlled waterway.
Cause of crash unclear
It was not immediately clear whether the Apache was brought down by Iranian fire, suffered mechanical failure, or encountered another problem, according to the report.
The White House, U.S. Department of State, and U.S. Central Command did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Asked whether he knew what caused the helicopter to go down, Trump said a report would be issued later on Tuesday.
Trump comments at airport
“The pilots are fine,” Trump said while speaking on the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport before returning to Washington, D.C. “Nobody injured.”
Regional tensions and ceasefire
The incident occurred a day after Iran and Israel said they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from Trump. Tehran warned it would resume hostilities if Israel continued strikes on Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The resumption of the ceasefire comes as Washington seeks an agreement with Tehran to end a conflict that has lasted more than three months.
Prospects for an Iran deal
Trump also told reporters he could have “an idea” for an Iran deal within a few days, without giving further details. He has repeatedly suggested that a deal with Tehran could be close, but no agreement has been reached.
The weekend saw the most direct confrontation between Iran and Israel since a ceasefire in April.
Tehran fired missiles toward Israeli territory late on Sunday, describing the strikes as retaliation for attacks on the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia on the outskirts of Beirut.