Conflict Events Archive | ConflictClarifier

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

strikeJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

Despite the combat loss of an Apache helicopter on June 8, these formidable helicopter gunships are playing a major role in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Oil tankers, container ships and bulkers are eager to get underway. President Donald Trump said on Monday, June 15, that "a lot of lanes" are open. "Pathways are available to all vessels not violating the blockade," according to U.S. Central Command, adding that, "U.S. forces are postured to defend against Iranian aggression." But even as the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran is finalized, international shippers are still nervous. "We still consider it very risky for ships to commence transits," Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at BIMCO, the world’s largest shipping association, said June 15. They worry about rogue drones, missiles and fast boats from Iran. You can bet Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, U.S. Central Command, will have the Army’s AH-64E Apache helicopters fanned out to police the strait. US NAVY UNMANNED SURFACE DRONE FINDS, RESCUES APACHE HELICOPTER CREW IN MILITARY FIRST That’s what the Apache helicopters were doing last week, when one was struck on June 8 by an Iranian drone that burrowed into the cockpit. The two-man Army crew survived a nighttime ditching in the Strait of Hormuz – and a historic rescue by a 24-foot U.S. Navy sea drone. "That bomb was lodged in the helicopter, it didn’t explode. It was on fire, but it didn’t explode," Trump marveled. "Those two guys, they knew how to fly, but they got very lucky." How do you ditch an Apache helicopter in the dark waters of the Strait of Hormuz with a smoldering Iranian drone stuck in the cockpit? "Gently." That’s according to former U.S. Army helicopter pilot Capt. C.W. Gosnell, who flew two combat tours in Bell UH-1 "Hueys" during the Vietnam War. ‘GOD IS GOOD’: INSIDE THE HIGH-RISK US MISSION TO SAVE A WOUNDED AIRMAN SHOT DOWN IN IRAN While official details are scant, one technique is to hover the Apache down to the sea surface, then roll the helicopter onto its side, tilting the 48-foot rotor into the water to stop the blades. Imagine scrambling out of the cockpit wearing your helmet, boots and body armor vest with your weapon, flares, radio and extra drinking water. And then boarding a 24-foot unmanned Navy rescue boat. CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION Fortunately, the Apaches are well-suited to ongoing patrols in the Strait of Hormuz. Here are three reasons why Iran – and China – fear the Apache. Hard to kill Apaches are rugged. Designed in the 1980s to kill Soviet tanks, Apaches were built with a type of boron carbide armor protecting the cockpit and vital systems. Blast shields separate the tandem seats and can withstand .50-caliber rounds, 23 mm shells and small incendiaries. Big guns The current model AH-64E is armed with Hellfire missiles, rockets and a 30 mm gun mounted on the helicopter’s chin and can destroy armored enemy targets at a range of five miles or more. Back on May 4, Cooper tasked AH-64 Apache and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters to "eliminate six Iranian small boats threatening commercial shipping." All were sunk. Cooper has been so impressed with the Apaches, that he himself took a flight in an AH-64 over the Strait of Hormuz. Drone killers The Apaches are also developing tactics to take on drones. On March 8, the United Arab Emirates released video footage of their AH-64E Apaches shooting down an Iranian Shahed drone with a gun kill. It’s a tactic also perfected by the U.S. Army. During a training exercise last November, Apache crews from the South Carolina Army National Guard achieved drone kills in 13 out of 14 engagements. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP They proved "the Apache—using its current software and systems—is a lethal and adaptable solution to the drone threat," said Chief Warrant Officer 5 Daniel York, who was part of the Army’s new equipment team. The Apaches can also use a new Aviation Proximity Explosive, or APEX, a gun round for better kill rates against small drones and drone swarms. You can see why Apaches will continue to play a big role over the Strait of Hormuz as shipping traffic gets underway. And combat lessons from Iran will prepare U.S. forces to deter China in the Pacific, too.

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

otherJun 17, 2026

Apache helicopter gunships showed off their power cleaning up the Strait of Hormuz

strikeJun 17, 2026

US blockade over? Iranian ships sail out of Strait of Hormuz

Iranian tankers carrying millions of barrels of crude oil have passed through the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, just days before the U.S.-Iran peace deal is set to be unveiled. Two tankers named Diona and Hero 2 — which are both under U.S. sanctions — made it through the blockade carrying an estimated 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, according to the shipping data website TankerTrackers. "At least two National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) VLCC supertankers named DIONA (9569695) and HERO2 (9362073) have exited the US Navy blockade perimeter carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil between them," TankerTrackers said on X. It added later: "A 3rd NITC tanker, a Suezmax at that, has now exited the blockade line with 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil." President Donald Trump imposed a naval blockade on Iran in April after negotiations in Pakistan collapsed without an agreement. The measure was intended to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping and stop the country from interfering with maritime traffic. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Iran peace deal is set to be announced at a signing ceremony at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland on Friday. The details of the deal have not yet been announced, but Trump said that the critical Strait of Hormuz will be "completely open." "I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now. And very importantly, the oil is plummeting down and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today," Trump said at the G7 meeting in France this week. "The main thing is that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. They fully agreed to that with strong policing powers, and they won’t have a nuclear weapon, which is what it was all about." This is a developing story. More to follow.

otherJun 17, 2026