A U.S. Apache helicopter that went down near the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week crashed after an Iranian drone exploded directly in front of it, nearly turning the brief U.S.-Iran flare-up into a wider war, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The incident, which took place overnight between Monday and Tuesday, happened just hours after President Donald Trump helped enforce a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. According to U.S. officials cited by the Journal, the helicopter was scanning the skies as part of efforts to protect civilian vessels from Iranian threats near the critical waterway.
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(Photo: Hamed Jafarnejad/ISNA/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS, AP/Alex Brandon, Jalaa MAREY/AFP, REUTERS/Stringer)
One of those threats, a one-way attack drone, exploded directly in front of the Apache. The blast reportedly caused the helicopter’s infrared guidance system to break apart and fall onto the pilot’s legs, scorching part of his flight suit.
“What remained of the drone lodged inside the helicopter,” the Journal reported.
The helicopter crashed into the water. The two pilots, described by U.S. officials as stunned, pushed out what remained of the cockpit canopy and jumped into the sea, avoiding the rotor blades seconds before the aircraft sank.
They floated in the water for about two hours before being rescued. According to the report, the fact that both pilots survived may have helped prevent a far wider escalation.
Trump later said the United States would respond, but officials indicated he was also trying to preserve the chances of an emerging agreement with Iran.
The incident triggered two nights of exchanges between the U.S. and Iran before Qatari and Pakistani mediators helped steer both sides back toward negotiations. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Apache incident became one of the pivotal moments in the push to secure a deal and prevent a broader conflict.