Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. File
| Photo Credit: KAMAL KISHORE
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged foreign forces on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) to leave the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding areas, warning they faced a persistent risk of being caught in the crossfire if they remained.
“The Strait of Hormuz is NOT international waters but shared between Iran and Oman… 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,” Araghchi posted on X.
“To reduce risk, best solution is for them to leave,” he added, after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed a response following accusations that Iran shot down an Apache helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier.
Mr. Trump on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) said that a U.S. military helicopter was shot down by Iran and that the United States “must” respond.
The Apache helicopter is the second crewed aircraft that Washington has confirmed was shot down by Iran during the West Asia war, following the loss of an F-15 fighter plane in April.
Published – June 10, 2026 01:13 am IST
