Key facts
- A US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed on June 8 after an apparent strike by an Iranian Shahed drone.
- US officials are investigating whether the drone strike was intentional or accidental.
- The US military launched self-defense strikes against Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz on June 9.
- Iran claimed US strikes damaged water infrastructure and retaliated with further attacks.
- The incident marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict around the Strait of Hormuz.
A US Army AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship crashed on June 8 near the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly after being struck by an Iranian Shahed drone. US officials are investigating whether the drone's impact was intentional or accidental, with basic Shahed models typically designed for stationary targets. This incident marks the first loss of an Apache helicopter in the ongoing conflict and the first apparently caused by a drone.
Following the crash, President Donald Trump publicly blamed Iran and warned of a US response. In response, US Central Command launched self-defense strikes on June 9 against Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's state broadcaster claimed these strikes damaged water supplies for at least 20,000 people, while Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks against Gulf countries and claimed to shoot down another US MQ-9 Reaper drone.
The exchange of fire threatens to shatter any remaining illusion of a ceasefire in the vital Strait of Hormuz, which has been intermittently disrupted by fighting and blockades since April 8.