President Donald Trump minimized the significance of Iran’s downing of a U.S. Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, even as he vowed that America would respond and continued to project confidence about defeating Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

During a telephone interview with The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, Trump brushed aside concerns over the incident, saying it “wasn’t a big deal” and emphasizing that “the pilot is fine.”

The remarks came only hours after the president issued a forceful statement accusing Iran of shooting down the aircraft and promising retaliation.

“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” he wrote on Truth Social.

According to Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, the helicopter’s two crew members remained in the water for approximately two hours after the aircraft went down, waiting to be rescued as nightfall approached. One senior U.S. official, speaking to The Wall Street Journal, characterized their survival and escape from the wreckage as a “hand of God” moment.

Trump also told the newspaper that the American naval blockade has severely weakened Iran’s economy, saying the campaign is making the regime “very poor.” He indicated that the blockade would remain in effect for as long as necessary.

At the same time, Trump continues to pursue an agreement that would permanently prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. On Monday, he predicted that the United States would soon achieve a decisive outcome.

“Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and it’s as simple as that. They cannot have, the destruction is so powerful, they cannot have a nuclear weapon. And Lindsey has been fighting with me all the way, all the way for that,” Trump said during a phone appearance at a rally held in support of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

Expressing confidence in the administration’s strategy, Trump added, “We’ve been a very tough team, and I think we are winning that battle, but you’re really going to win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory. It’ll be a total victory. It’ll happen very soon. And oil prices will come tumbling down,” he added.

{Matzav.com}