Trump vows retaliation after Apache helicopter shot down near Oman

A fragile Middle East peace track was blown apart Tuesday morning after an American military helicopter was downed near the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump declared that Iran is directly responsible for the attack, stating in an early morning social media post that the United States "must and will" launch a decisive response. The incident marks a volatile escalation in the region, where U.S. forces have spent nearly two months enforcing a strict maritime and aerial blockade on Iran's ports following the 12-day war of 2025.