Trump says pilots safe after US helicopter goes down near Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that two US pilots were safe after their helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz, following a report that the crew of an Apache gunship had been rescued near the Iran-controlled waterway.

Speaking on the runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport before returning to Washington, Trump said a report on what caused the incident would be issued later in the day. "The pilots are fine. Nobody is injured," he told reporters.

It was not immediately clear whether the helicopter had been hit by Iranian fire, suffered a mechanical problem or encountered another issue. The White House, the US Department of State and US Central Command did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ceasefire remains fragile

The incident came a day after Iran and Israel said they had stopped attacking each other following an appeal by Trump. Tehran, however, warned that it would resume hostilities if Israel continued striking Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The pause in fighting comes as Washington seeks an agreement with Tehran to bring an end to a war that has lasted more than three months. Trump also said he could have an idea for an Iran deal within a few days, but did not give details.

Trump has repeatedly suggested that an agreement with Tehran could be close, but none has materialised. The Republican president is facing record-low approval ratings ahead of the November midterm elections.

Recent exchanges between Iran and Israel

The weekend saw the most direct confrontation between Iran and Israel since a ceasefire in April. Tehran launched missiles towards Israeli territory late on Sunday, saying the attack was in response to strikes on the outskirts of Beirut.

Israel then targeted Iranian air defence systems and a petrochemical plant that it said was being used to make ballistic missiles. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it responded with a strike aimed at a similar Israeli facility in Haifa. Authorities on both sides reported no deaths.

Trump warning to Netanyahu

US and Israeli officials said Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Monday. In an interview with Axios, Trump said he cautioned Netanyahu against returning to war with Iran, warning that Israel could end up without US backing if it did so.

"I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon,’"

An Israeli military official said Israel was ready to continue operations for as long as needed, while Iranian officials also struck a defiant tone. A military source quoted by the semi-official Tasnim news agency said Tehran was prepared for a lengthy conflict and could renew strikes against US interests in the region.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran was exchanging messages with Washington in an atmosphere of extreme suspicion.

Strait of Hormuz and deal demands

Tehran has long maintained that any peace deal with the United States depends in part on an end to the fighting in Lebanon, which Israel invaded in March. Israel has not halted its campaign there, saying that conflict should be treated separately from any US-Iran ceasefire. Hezbollah has also continued its attacks.

Tehran has continued to block most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which before the war carried a fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas. Washington, meanwhile, has imposed its own blockade of Iranian ports.

Trump has said any agreement must ensure that Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon. Tehran rejects that position, saying its nuclear programme is intended only for civilian use. Iran’s demands include the removal of international sanctions, the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets and recognition of its control of the strait.