President Trump says U.S. 'must' respond to Iran attack that downed Army helicopter

NPR | By Deepa Shivaram

Published June 9, 2026 at 4:30 PM EDT

Monday night, President Trump spoke optimistically about negotiations to end the war with Iran. Now, he has confirmed that Iran shot down a U.S. Army Apache helicopter, saying the U.S. must respond.

NPR News

Deepa Shivaram

Deepa Shivaram is a multi-platform political reporter on NPR's Washington Desk.

Support nonprofit, fact-based public service journalism

WEKU depends on support from those who view and listen to our content. There's no paywall here. Please support WEKU with your donation.

Contribute now

Related Content

Lexington/Richmond

Gov. Beshear endorses Dembo in race for Ky’s 6th House District

Lily Burris

Gov. Andy Beshear endorsed Zach Dembo, the Democratic candidate for Kentucky’s 6th House District, in a Tuesday campaign event. The district represents much of central Kentucky, including Lexington.
NPR News

House passes bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol through the remainder of Trump's term

Ximena Bustillo, Sam Gringlas

The bill provides roughly $70 billion for immigration enforcement and highlights a GOP caucus continuing to endorse Trump's immigration agenda as Democrats warn Congress has ceded its oversight role.
China re-centers North Korea ties as nuclear silence reshapes balance

Jennifer Pak, Anthony Kuhn

North Korea's Kim Jong Un rebalances ties between China and Russia, and gets fresh pledges of support from Beijing, while keeping his nuclear weapons off the agenda.
Trump has been trying to secure a better nuclear deal with Iran than Obama. Can he?

Jackie Northam

For years, President Trump slammed former President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran. Now he has to push through his own.
Nollywood's new screen: Nigerian filmmakers skip cinemas for YouTube

Jewel Bright

In Nigeria, a film revolution is unfolding — not in cinemas, but on YouTube.