In a post on social media, Donald Trump claimed that Iranian forces shot down a U.S. Apache military helicopter during a patrol in the Strait of Hormuz, while also stressing that the two pilots were rescued without injuries.

The U.S. president said he had been informed of the incident by the American armed forces. He also warned that Washington must respond to the action, leaving open the possibility of U.S. retaliation.

“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 in his post.

Previously, according to a statement by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed near the coast of Oman while conducting a patrol in the area.

The two pilots were located and rescued approximately two hours after the incident, with the assistance of a maritime drone.

It has not yet been clarified what type of unmanned vessel was used in the operation. According to a U.S. official cited by ABC News, the platform had a design similar to a high-speed boat.