BREAKING: Two Pilots, Iran Will Pay the Price

Trump revealed today new details about the Apache helicopter incident in the Strait of Hormuz.

An Iranian drone brought down a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter on June 8 off the coast of Oman. According to CENTCOM, the aircraft went down at 7:33 p.m. ET while patrolling regional waters near the Strait of Hormuz. The initial report was that investigators determined an Iranian drone struck the helicopter, though it remains unclear whether the impact was deliberate or the result of an accidental collision.

Trump said the drone became lodged between the two pilots without exploding. Despite the helicopter catching fire and the risk of detonation at any moment, the crew managed to ditch the aircraft in the sea.

The rescue that followed was historic. A U.S. Navy Corsair unmanned surface vessel, operated by Fifth Fleet’s Task Force 59, located both pilots in the water and recovered them within about 2 hours. Both were rescued unharmed and remain in stable condition. It is believed to be the first real-world rescue of downed aircrew conducted by a naval drone.

Iran denied responsibility. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Al Jazeera: “Iran was not behind the attack. Such incidents may occur unintentionally because of the tense atmosphere in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Trump confirmed the incident on June 9, writing on Truth Social: “Last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”

At the same time, Trump appeared to downplay the incident in comments to The Wall Street Journal, saying it “wasn’t a big deal” because “the pilot is fine.” The newspaper reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine urged him to authorize a response.

The incident came as negotiations with Iran appeared close to a breakthrough. Speaking to CNBC the same day, Trump said the two sides were in the “final stages” of reaching a deal that would prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, adding that an agreement could be reached within 2 or 3 days.

A Marshall Plan for Iran, With a Condition

In a phone interview with ABC's Jonathan Karl, Trump said the U.S. will get involved in rebuilding Iran after the war: "Somebody's going to have to build all that infrastructure, new bridges, new this, new that, new power plants. You know, they're talking about a trillion dollars, probably more." Karl asked if that meant a Marshall Plan for Iran.

"Yeah. But, we'll get half their oil."

— President Trump · ABC News

In the same interview, Trump defended the strikes as they were happening: "This is a response to what they did with our helicopter last night, and I believe the response should be very strong, very powerful, and that's what this one is."

20 Targets in One Night

CENTCOM began striking Iran at 5 p.m. ET yesterday (June 9) and announced hours later its forces had hit "Iranian air defense, ground control stations, and surveillance radar sites near the Strait of Hormuz with precision munitions from U.S. Air Force and Navy fighter jets," calling the operation "a proportional response." A senior U.S. official told CNN 20 targets were hit, and Israel's N12 News reported the strikes came in three waves through the night. Targets included Bandar Abbas, the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) Navy's main command hub, which was hit twice, plus Qeshm Island, Sirik, Jask, and Minab. CNN, citing a U.S. official, said the strikes were designed to send a message, not derail negotiations.

Iranian outlets claimed the strikes also hit water storage tanks in Hormozgan province. The IRGC says its air defenses downed an MQ-9 Reaper drone over Jam in Bushehr province, and footage of a falling aircraft is circulating. CENTCOM has not confirmed the loss.

Missiles at Three Countries. None at Israel.

Iran answered overnight. A U.S. official told Axios the IRGC launched at least 4 ballistic missiles and several drones at U.S. bases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. Jordan's military intercepted five missiles aimed at the Al-Azraq air base hosting U.S. forces. Kuwait's army announced its air defenses were engaging targets, sirens sounded across Bahrain, home of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and footage showed Qadr, Emad, and Kheibar Shekan ballistic missiles launching from Khomein. Nearly all of it was intercepted. U.S., Jordanian, and Kuwaiti officials reported zero casualties and zero damage.

The IRGC claimed 21 targets struck and an F-35 hangar destroyed at Al-Azraq. Jordan says nothing was hit. Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters warned that if the U.S. strikes again, "more severe and extensive strikes will be carried out against the designated target bank in the region."

Israel was not targeted, despite hosting more than 90 U.S. aircraft.

Trump: Done Negotiating

Trump posted this morning (June 10): "Iran's Military is a complete and total mess," adding "Iran is all talk and no action. The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!!" He says he is nearing a decision on additional strikes against Iranian power infrastructure and bridges.

"They've taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!"

— President Trump · Truth Social

The diplomacy is still moving anyway. Fox News reported Qatari negotiators traveled to Tehran this morning, after consulting with the U.S., to bridge the remaining gaps in negotiations. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei said Tehran "needs to re-assess" when asked about the talks, and Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf insisted "Iran's defense and deterrence capabilities remain intact." Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said Iran notified them any truce with the U.S. must include a full halt to fighting in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen.

The whole sequence ran 36 hours: a downed Apache Monday, 20 targets struck across southern Iran Tuesday night, Iranian missiles at three Gulf states overnight, all of it intercepted. By this morning Qatari negotiators were in Tehran anyway. The talks and the shooting are running at the same time.

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