President Donald Trump announced that Iran shot down an American Apache helicopter late on Monday, promising consequences for the country on Tuesday as peace negotiations stall and an April ceasefire appears increasingly under strain.
“There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack.”
Trump’s comments came hours after U.S. Central Command announced two crew members were rescued by American forces after their helicopter went down near Oman. The cause of the incident was at that point under investigation, CENTCOM said.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for additional context on any planned response.
Trump’s social media post came in stark contrast to his optimism Tuesday morning that a peace agreement with Tehran could be reached within days. The president told reporters that “we’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal.”
But the Iranians have in recent days signaled that more conflict could be on the horizon.
“We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we speak other languages far more fluently,” Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, wrote on X minutes before Trump’s social media post. “Break your commitments, and we’ll switch to what we speak best. You ride the horse you saddled!”
Iran launched missiles at Israel on Sunday, its first such action since the ceasefire came online more than two months ago, amid Israel’s campaign in Lebanon. Trump publicly chastised Israel and Iran on Monday, saying peace negotiations are “proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.”
And on Saturday, U.S. forces intercepted a series of Iranian missiles aimed at the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf states.