The Apache helicopter that crashed into the sea the previous day was shot down by Iran while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz, President Trump said Tuesday, vowing to "respond to this attack." "There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured," Mr. Trump wrote. "Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack." The two crew members were rescued by a sea drone in the first such operation ever carried out by the U.S. military, officials told CBS News. The surface drone rescued the soldiers and transported them to another location on the water where they were then hoisted up to a helicopter for further transport, according to a U.S. official. The two U.S. Army soldiers on the Apache had been patrolling waters off the coast of Oman when the crash happened. They were rescued at about 7:30 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, "within approximately two hours" of their AH-64 Apache going down.
It's been more than two months since President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire with Iran, saying at the time that the two sides were close to a deal. Trump said on social media on April 7 that they were "very far along" but needed two weeks for "the Agreement to be finalized and consummated." He concluded by saying that "it is an Honor to have this Longterm problem close to resolution." There was no resolution, of course. But Trump has nonetheless spent the two months since then continuing to suggest a deal was right around the corner. A lot. Including the period before the ceasefire, he's done it at least 38 times. That's the number of times he's said directly " in social media posts, public appearances and phone calls with the media " that a deal was nigh or claimed Iran was desperate to cut one. There's no indication that's any more true today than it was back on April 7.
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The noxious orange chomo has lost $4 billion worth of aircraft while shutting down the Strait Of Hormuz. What a military genius.