Yesterday, a U.S. Apache helicopter was shot down by Iranian forces near the Strait of Hormuz. After the pilots were rescued, President Donald Trump had said the U.S. would respond shortly after. The Times of Israel reports that strikes were carried out early today in what is described by Central Command as “self-defense strikes.” Targets include Iranian air defenses, ground control stations, and radar sites near the Strait. Iran has since targeted U.S. military targets in the region as the two countries continue issuing threats.
The development came just a day after the US restored a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, although both countries hinted on Tuesday at the possibility of further military action down the road, if deemed necessary.
The US response to the downing of the helicopter could harm efforts to achieve that deal, which Trump for weeks has claimed is on the verge of being signed despite little to no outward signs of progress having been made.
The fact that Trump telegraphed Washington’s plans to respond to Iran indicated, however, that he was still trying to prevent the talks from collapsing completely.
The helicopter crash happened at about 3:30 a.m. local time Tuesday off the coast of Oman while the aircraft was on a patrol, US Central Command said.
It went down near the critical Strait of Hormuz shipping lane that Iran has effectively closed since the start of its war with the US and Israel on February 28.
The Iranian regime has presented the weekend flareup with Israel as a victory for them, saying that it has created a regional deterrent. The IDF has said that it’s fully prepared to defend against any new incursions and had even planned a more significant response, but was urged against it by the U.S.
Prior to the helicopter incident, Trump had said that Iran and the U.S. were a couple days away from reaching a deal –something that has been refuted by Iran as it continues to issue threats against the U.S. forces in the region. The Strait of Hormuz also continues to be blocked.
The Fellowship and our supporters praise God that the Apache helicopter pilots have been saved and that the escalations did not lead to all-out war. We continue to pray for the U.S. and Israel on their mission of shalom, peace.
