Shortly after Donald Trump’s claim that Iranians were behind the crash of a U.S. Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, new information has shed a different light on the incident.

Barak Ravid of Israel’s Channel 12 and Axios reported information from a U.S. official suggesting that an Iranian drone struck the Apache, causing it to go down.

A U.S. official told me the investigation determined that an Iranian drone hit the U.S. helicopter and got it to crash. The U.S. official said the investigation still hasn't determined if it was intentional or not https://t.co/cYvREC1Cdu

— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) June 9, 2026

An investigation is currently being conducted by U.S. authorities, and it is not yet clear whether the collision was intentional or accidental.

Another source familiar with the incident said that an Iranian Shahed-type drone collided with the American helicopter.

This marks the first loss of an Apache helicopter since the beginning of the conflict with Iran. Apache helicopters are mainly used for precision strikes, air support, and aerial reconnaissance, and have been used to target small Iranian vessels.

The helicopter crew, consisting of a pilot and co-pilot, was rescued by a maritime drone.

Earlier, in a social media post, Donald Trump claimed that Iranian forces had shot down the Apache during a patrol in the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that the two pilots were rescued without injuries.

The U.S. president warned that Washington must respond to the incident, leaving open the possibility of retaliatory action.

“Just informed by our armed forces that last night the Iranians shot down one of our state-of-the-art Apache helicopters while it was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots on board, who are safe and unharmed. Nevertheless, the United States must, necessarily, respond to this attack,” he wrote.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) had earlier stated that the AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed near the coast of Oman while conducting a patrol.

The two pilots were located and rescued approximately two hours after the incident by a maritime drone.