Iran’s deputy foreign minister has stated that the country did not intentionally target the US Apache helicopter that crashed in the Strait of Hormuz. In an interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera, the Iranian official said Iran had no involvement in the incident and suggested that the tense regional situation could have contributed to such occurrences.

According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the military helicopter went down while patrolling over the airspace near Oman’s coast and the Strait of Hormuz. Both pilots were rescued unharmed by a drone boat. Following the crash, US President Donald Trump directly blamed Iran and warned of an appropriate response.

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the region, with both sides trading accusations over recent security events in the Gulf area.