U.S. military helicopter crashes

The cause of the crash is not yet known, and an investigation is underway, The New York Times reported.

According to sources, it remains unclear whether the helicopter was hit by Iranian fire, suffered a mechanical failure, or encountered another type of problem.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has not publicly released information about the incident, while the U.S. Central Command has also not responded to media inquiries.

The U.S. military uses AH-64 Apache helicopters, MQ-9 Reaper drones, and F/A-18 and F-35 fighter aircraft in operations aimed at maintaining freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Apache helicopters patrol the area around the Strait of Hormuz to deter attacks by small vessels and to shoot down drones, often operating close to Iranian territory and islands under Tehran’s control.

On April 13, the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in response to Iran’s blockade of the shipping route.

Since then, U.S. warships have turned back 134 commercial vessels, while seven ships were disabled after ignoring warnings issued by the U.S. Navy.