A US Army Apache attack helicopter crashed near the Strait of Hormuz, with US President Donald Trump saying the two crew members on board were “fine” after the incident involving the strategic waterway, which remains under a chokehold by Iran.

What caused the crash remained unclear early on Tuesday in the Middle East, which was still reeling after Iran and Israel exchanged fire the previous day in the biggest blow yet to the straining ceasefire in the Iran war.

Iranian state media, relying on foreign reporting, acknowledged the crash without elaborating.

Trump, speaking to journalists at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York after watching the NBA Finals on Monday night, acknowledged the crash.

“The pilots are fine. Yeah,” he said.

“Nobody injured. We are going to issue a report tomorrow. But the pilots are fine.”

The New York Times first reported that a Army Apache attack helicopter went down near the strait in unclear circumstances.

Apache helicopters have been a key asset for the American military as it enforces a blockade on Iranian crude oil shipments and tankers, seeking to pressure Tehran into reaching a deal.

The helicopters have also been used by the United Arab Emirates to shoot down Iranian drones during the Iran war.

Trump also expressed renewed optimism over negotiations with Iran.

“We have a good chance” of signing a deal in “two or three days," he said.

But he didn’t provide any details on why there was reason for new optimism.

“We’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal,” the president said.

“If we go and bomb – which we could do very easily if we want, and we spend another two or three weeks bombing – they’ll have nothing left whatsoever. But you won’t have the strait open for months.”

He added: “If we do the bombing, you know, a lot of people are going to be killed. Who wants to do that? I don’t.” (AP)



Edited by Tony Sabine