— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NOTE: The Iranian drone (or rather loitering munition) that shot down the U.S. Apache helicopter was likely the Missile-358

A cross-over between drone and anti-air missile, it also has ground attack capability and is basically a low cost smart missile.

However, the most likely scenario is that the Apache got involved in an accident while trying to intercept Shahed-136 drones.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, in response to Trump:

‘Foreign forces in proximity to our territory are at constant risk on account of their own human errors, plain accidents, or potentially being caught in crossfire.

To reduce risk, it is better for them [U.S. forces] to leave’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: Al-Arabiya and Al-Hadath claim that a preliminary investigation has revealed that Iran intentionally targeted the Apache

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Iranian analyst when asked to comment on Trump’s latest statement:

‘Why was an American military helicopter flying in Iran’s backyard?

Tell me, what would have happened if an Iranian helicopter flew in the San Francisco Bay?’

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 President Trump to ABC News:

‘If Iran’s people keep being stupid, we'll end up in something where we have to wipe out the infrastructure of an entire nation’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 President Trump: ‘We are going to get half of Iran’s oil’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: Multiple planes have left airports in Tehran to temporarily relocate to various airports in Asia, as a precautionary measure

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇶 NEW: Very loud sounds of U.S. aviation in Iraqi Kurdistan

@Middle_East_Spectator

Yeah Caitlin, why was it there?

Why is an American helicopter in the PERSIAN Gulf?

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 High-ranking Iranian official to Al-Jazeera:

‘The American Apache helicopter was not flying over international waters. The Strait of Hormuz is Iranian waters.

We will respond decisively and immediately to any U.S. attack on Iran.’

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 High-ranking Iranian official to Al-Jazeera:

‘As our foreign minister said, if the U.S. does not want such unfortunate incidents, they should simply leave’

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇮🇷 NEW: Iranian fighter jets have been scrambled

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷/🇮🇶 NEW: Iranian drones targeted Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan

@Middle_East_Spectator

Kurds every time anything happens

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: CNN claims an Iranian Shahed-136 drone ‘collided’ with the Apache helicopter

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NOTE: A Shahed variant capable of being used as an aerial interceptor does exist, and was marketed to Russia a while ago

However, I doubt Iran used that against the Apache. It was probably nothing more than an accident.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: President Trump says the Apache incident is ‘not a big deal’

@Middle_East_Spectator

Soon he will say that, at the request of Pakistan, he has decided not to attack.

— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Reporter: ‘You said the U.S. must respond to the Apache shootdown, do you still feel that way?’

President Trump: ‘I don’t have to do anything. We hold all the cards. I don’t have to do it—but look, we probably will, okay? They can’t be doing that.’

@Middle_East_Spectator

—❗️🇾🇪/🇮🇱 NEW: Initial reports of a ballistic missile launch from Yemen to Israel

@Middle_East_Spectator