President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the crew members aboard a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache helicopter are safe after the aircraft went down near the coast of Oman during a patrol mission.
“The pilots are fine. Nobody injured,” Trump told reporters before U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released additional details about the incident. “We are going to issue a report tomorrow.”
In a statement posted Tuesday morning, CENTCOM confirmed that two crew members were rescued after their helicopter went down at approximately 7:33 p.m. ET on June 8 while patrolling regional waters near Oman.
“Two crew members from a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache were rescued by American forces after their helicopter went down near the coast of Oman while patrolling regional waters,” CENTCOM said.
According to the military command, both soldiers were recovered within about two hours and were reported to be in stable condition. The cause of the incident remains under investigation.
CENTCOM said the rescue operation was led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, with support from U.S. Air Force and Navy assets, including the U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59.
The incident occurred amid heightened military activity in and around the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, where U.S. forces have been conducting maritime security operations and enforcing a blockade aimed at restricting Iranian shipping activity. Apache helicopters have been regularly deployed in the region to monitor maritime traffic, counter drone threats, and help protect commercial shipping lanes.
On Monday, CENTCOM announced that U.S. forces disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly violated the blockade by attempting to travel to an Iranian port. According to the military, an F/A-18 Super Hornet fired a precision munition into the ship’s engineering and steering spaces after the crew failed to comply with directions from U.S. forces.
CENTCOM said it has redirected 134 vessels and disabled seven non-compliant ships since the blockade began on April 13.
While military officials have not indicated what caused the helicopter to go down, multiple news outlets reported that investigators are examining all possibilities, including whether hostile fire may have played a role. No evidence has been publicly presented linking the incident to enemy action, and CENTCOM has emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing.
Additional reporting indicated the rescue may have involved a U.S. Navy unmanned surface vessel operating with Task Force 59, marking what some reports described as the first operational rescue of downed American service members using a maritime drone platform. CENTCOM has not yet released full details of the recovery operation.
For now, officials say both crew members are safe and receiving medical evaluation as investigators work to determine exactly what caused the Apache to go down.
