A US helicopter has reportedly gone down near the Strait of Hormuz.
The Army Apache helicopter gunship went down on Monday, June 8. Its two crew members were safely rescued, The New York Times reported, citing two people briefed on the incident.
It is unclear whether the helicopter was shot down or experienced a mechanical problem, the report added.
View 3 ImagesThe IRGC released map showing the area of the Hormuz strait it says Iran controls
In April, Iran shot down a US Air Force F-15 Eagle, sparking in an intense manhunt for the pilot and navigator of the aircraft, both of whom were rescued.
The Strait of Hormuz has been a point of contention in the US-Iran war, which sparked after the US and Israel carried out joint strikes on several key Iranian sites on February 28.
Iran retaliated by closing the critical waterway – through which 20% of global oil traded passes – and striking sites across the region.
The US implemented a blockade on Iranian ports in the strait in a bit to pressure peace talks and lift the Iranian closure.
The two sides have managed to sustain a fragile ceasefire since April, but hostilities between Iran and Israel neared full-scale conflict at the start of the week.
View 3 ImagesMissile trail streaks across the sky over Central Israel(Image: AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Reports of the helicopter came shortly after Iran said it had ended attacks against Israel after the two sides exchanged fire in the biggest escalation since the US-Iran truce in April.
Hours later, Trump, speaking on a telerally on Monday, June 8, said that his country will declare “total victory” over Iran in two weeks.
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“You’re really going to win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory,” Trump said.
“It will be a total victory and it will happen very soon.”