Johnson says he wants peace with Iran
Chairman Mike Johnson said he hoped Iranians would “come to their senses” after President Trump warned of a ceasefire violation.
The U.S. Navy is searching for the crew after the helicopter made an “emergency water landing” in the Arabian Sea, Navy officials said.
U.S. Navy Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet announced on social media that an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush landed at approximately 3:30 a.m. ET on July 1. Three of the helicopter’s crew members have been located and are in stable condition on the carrier.
A fourth crew member remains missing. The cause of the incident is under investigation. A Navy official said: “There is no indication that the emergency was caused by hostilities.”
U.S. Central Command announced on June 23 that the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush is one of two aircraft carriers operating in the Arabian Sea region “as U.S. forces remain stationed and on alert.”
Tensions have continued to rise in the Middle East in recent days despite a tenuous ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran. The war between the United States and Iran began on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a joint bombing campaign in the Middle Eastern country. Thousands of people died in the battle, including 13 U.S. military personnel.
Central Command shared images of sailors conducting night operations, flight operations and maintenance on the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter on board the ship. According to Naval Air Systems Command, the MH-60S Seahawk’s missions include anti-surface warfare, combat support, humanitarian disaster relief and combat search and rescue.
The emergency landing and rescue operation came weeks after Iran shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. launched a retaliatory strike on June 9. President Donald Trump said the two pilots on board were unharmed and safe.
Contributors: Joey Garrison and Michael Loria, USA TODAY
