Iranian Drone Shot Down Apache Helicopter While Repelling Attack on June 9 in Strait of Hormuz

An Iranian drone shot down a US AH-64 Apache helicopter while it was on patrol in the Strait of Hormuz on June 9, 2026.

This was reported by The Wall Street Journal, citing US officials.

According to them, around 1 a.m. local time, the helicopter was on patrol and monitoring the airspace over an area where commercial shipping routes pass.

During the flight, an Iranian drone exploded directly in front of the helicopter. Debris from the drone struck the aircraft, and the infrared seeker separated from the body and entered the cockpit.

The part fell onto one of the pilots’ knees and burned a hole in part of his flight suit. The remains of the drone became lodged in the helicopter’s structure.

Earlier, Militarnyi reported that on June 9, US President Donald Trump stated that Iran had shot down an American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter that was patrolling the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Trump, both pilots survived, were uninjured, and are safe.

It is worth noting that since the start of Operation Epic Fury against Iran, as of May 20, the United States has lost or damaged at least 42 aircraft.

Among the US losses are four F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, one F-35A Lightning II fighter, and one A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.

The US also lost or damaged seven KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft, one E-3 Sentry long-range early warning aircraft, two MC-130J Commando II special transport aircraft, and one HH-60W Jolly Green II rescue helicopter.

The unmanned component of US forces suffered the heaviest losses: according to the report, the US lost 24 MQ-9 Reaper strike and reconnaissance drones, as well as one MQ-4C Triton strategic reconnaissance drone.

Some of the losses were the result of combat operations, but some incidents were caused by friendly fire or technical issues. In particular, three F-15Es were destroyed by friendly fire over Kuwait, and one KC-135 tanker crashed in Iraq following an incident in friendly airspace.