President Donald Trump on Tuesday mentioned the U.S. will “reply” as he accused Iran of taking pictures down an Apache helicopter that was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz.
The 2 pilots concerned within the assault “are protected and unhurt,” Trump wrote in a Reality Social publish. “However, america should, of necessity, reply to this assault.”
Trump didn’t say what kind the U.S. response would take. However his publish signaled that battle with Iran was about to ramp up as soon as once more, regardless of him claiming hours earlier {that a} cope with Tehran may very well be reached as quickly as this week.
The 2 sides are within the closing phases of a “very, excellent deal” that can cease Iran from getting nuclear weapons and absolutely reopen the Hormuz Strait “instantly upon signing,” Trump mentioned late Monday evening after leaving an NBA Finals recreation in New York Metropolis.
Such a deal may very well be signed “in two or three days,” Trump added. However he has repeatedly claimed all through the battle, which crossed the 100-day mark on Sunday, that the U.S. and Iran have been on the cusp of signing a deal. No deal has emerged.
Trump’s newest deal feedback got here hours after the helicopter incident, in line with U.S. Central Command, which mentioned that the American AH-64 Apache had gone down “close to the coast of Oman” on Monday night at 7:33 p.m. ET.
Centcom, in an announcement Tuesday morning, didn’t initially blame Iran for the downing, saying the incident is underneath investigation. The 2 troopers concerned within the crash have been rescued inside about two hours by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the 82nd Airborne Division, Centcom mentioned.
Iran didn’t straight declare accountability for taking pictures down the helicopter, however some Iranian sources appeared to touch upon the incident.
“A lot for the Iranian army having been ‘obliterated’!” Iran’s official broadcaster Press TV mentioned on Telegram in response to Trump’s Reality publish.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, issued a cryptic menace on X, writing, “We favor the language of diplomacy, however we communicate different languages way more fluently.”
“Break your commitments, and we’ll change to what we communicate greatest. You trip the horse you saddled!” Ghalibaf wrote.
Iran’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs didn’t instantly reply to CNBC’s request for touch upon Trump’s publish.
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— CNBC’s Emma Graham and Megan Cassella contributed to this report.
