Iran Denies Involvement in Apache Downing, Vows Response to US Aggression

Iranian Assistant Foreign Minister, Insam Saif, stated to Al Jazeera on Tuesday (10/06/2026) that Iran was not behind the incident involving the crash of a United States Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz the previous night.

The Iranian official noted that in the current tense situation, the possibility of such an incident occurring accidentally remains. “The atmosphere in the Strait of Hormuz is currently very tense, so an incident like this could occur unintentionally,” he said.

He emphasised that there was no deliberate targeting by Iran against the American helicopter.

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blamed the presence of the United States military in the region as the primary cause of rising tensions between Tehran and Washington. He further demanded that US forces immediately leave the area.

In a post on the X platform, Araghchi wrote: “The Strait of Hormuz is not international waters, but rather a shared waterway between Iran and Oman, located thousands of miles from the coast of the United States. The maritime boundaries in this region are very clear.”

He added that the Iranian armed forces are always on full alert to respond to any violations of Iranian airspace, land, or waters.