US president says Tehran, Washington are ‘in the final throes of very, very good deal’
WASHINGTON:
US President Donald Trump has vowed a military response after accusing Iran of shooting down an American Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, sharply escalating tensions amid fragile ceasefire and ongoing negotiations over regional conflict.
Trump said he was informed the helicopter was on patrol over the Strait of Hormuz when it was hit, though crew survived unharmed after a naval drone rescue operation near the coast of Oman.
Earlier, the US military’s Central Command said the AH-64 Apache went down at around 3am local time on Tuesday near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters. It gave no reason for the crash.
At the same time, Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned Washington against breaking commitments, saying Tehran would respond in a different language if agreements were violated during ongoing diplomatic engagements with the United States.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said foreign forces operating near Iranian territory risk accidents, crossfire or human error, urging them to leave the region to reduce danger and avoid unintended escalation.
The incident comes amid a fragile ceasefire in place since April 8, following earlier losses including a US F-15 fighter, underscoring continued volatility despite claims that diplomatic channels are edging towards de-escalation.
Trump told reporters that Iran and Israel had agreed through US mediation to pause hostilities, suggesting a potential agreement could be finalised within days, though officials on both sides offered more cautious assessments.
“They were going back and forth, and now they both agreed through me to stop, and we’re in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal that will not allow in any way, shape, or form nuclear weapons, etc.,” Trump told reporters after attending an NBA finals game in New York.
“The Strait (of Hormuz) will open up right away, it’ll open up immediately upon signing, which could be in two or three days,” he added. According to a separate report by IRNA, the US and Iran are still exchanging views on the final text of the draft agreement.
Following Trump’s remarks, global oil prices fell around 5%, while shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained disrupted amid military tensions and continuing restrictions imposed on Iranian port access by Washington.
In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike on the coastal city of Tyre killed at least eight people, prompting evacuation orders and mass displacement as residents fled north after warnings issued by the Israeli military.
The strike formed part of a wider conflict involving Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, where cross-border exchanges and airstrikes have continued despite truce efforts and have resulted in thousands of casualties on both sides.
Iran has insisted any agreement with Washington must include cessation of hostilities in Lebanon and sanctions relief, while the United States has said any deal must prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and secure Hormuz shipping lanes.
