Trump promises retaliation following Iran's downing of American chopper

President Donald Trump made a vow on Tuesday to take action after accusing Iran of downing a US military helicopter the previous night, just hours after stating that negotiations to bring an end to the Middle East war were nearing their final stages.

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Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament and chief negotiator in talks with Washington, issued a warning to the United States on Tuesday, cautioning against breaking its "commitments".

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The comments from Trump and Ghalibaf came a day after Iran and Israel halted attacks that had threatened to reignite the regional war, which initially broke out following US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

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In a statement, Trump revealed that he had been informed of the downing of a highly sophisticated Apache Helicopter by Iranian forces while it was patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz the previous night, and emphasized that the US must respond to this attack.

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Despite the crew members being uninjured, Trump stressed that a response from the United States was necessary, while Ghalibaf also issued a warning on Tuesday, stating that Iran prefers diplomacy but is capable of speaking other languages if commitments are broken.

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Ghalibaf's warning was clear, as he stated "We prefer the language of diplomacy, but we speak other languages far more fluently, break your commitments, and we'll switch to what we speak best, you ride the horse you saddled!".

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The downed Apache helicopter is the second crewed aircraft that Washington has confirmed was shot down by Iran during the war, following the loss of an F-15 fighter plane in April.

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The incident poses a threat to the shaky ceasefire in place since April 8, as the US and Iran struggle to negotiate an end to the conflict, with Tehran insisting that a halt to the war must include a truce in Lebanon.

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Lebanon was drawn into the war when Hezbollah militants fired rockets at Israel on March 2, prompting Israel to respond with an extensive campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion that have killed more than 3,600 people.

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Exchanges of fire between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have not stopped despite an ongoing truce, and oil prices fell around five percent to below $90 a barrel following the recent escalation of attacks.

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Iran fired missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to strikes against Lebanon's Hezbollah in the southern suburbs of Beirut, before Israel struck back despite Trump's efforts to dissuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from doing so.

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Netanyahu stated that the "fire on that front is contained" hours after Tehran said it had stopped its military action, but both sides warned they could resume hostilities, even as Trump indicated diplomatic efforts were progressing.

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Trump told reporters that Iran and Israel "were going back and forth and now they both agreed through me to stop and we're in the final throes of what will be a very, very good deal", and estimated that a deal would be reached within "two or three days".

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Following Trump's comments, oil prices fell, and the conflict has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil usually passes, while Washington has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports.

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Iranian state media reported on Tuesday that three people, including two members of the "Army Air Defence Force", were killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, while no casualties were reported in Israel following the exchange.

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Tehran's international airport, which was closed during the missile exchanges, reopened on Tuesday, allowing flights carrying hajj pilgrims from Saudi Arabia to land, according to Iranian media reports.

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Despite Iranian demands, Israel has continued its attacks on Lebanon, where it is fighting Hezbollah, and on Tuesday, Lebanon's health ministry said an Israeli airstrike on Tyre killed at least eight people.

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The Israeli military warned the entire city of Tyre to evacuate shortly after the strike, and Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported a "heavy strike" on Tyre, and raids on more than a dozen other locations across the country's south.

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An AFP correspondent saw residents of Tyre, including from the Christian quarter, fleeing and heavy traffic heading north after the Israeli warning, which came after Israel's military alleged that Hezbollah members were operating in the Christian quarter.

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The heads of the Pakistani and Lebanese armed forces agreed to boost cooperation on Tuesday as they met in Pakistan, while on another front of the war, Israel's military said it had intercepted an aerial target from Yemen, but reported no casualties.