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Iranian chopper challenges American naval vessel nearing its borders | Defense Updates

Iranian state media describe the confrontation as ‘tense’, while the US military says the encounter was ‘professional’.

Iran claims it warned a United States Navy destroyer to change its course as it approached Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, though the US asserts the encounter was “professional” and had “no impact” on its naval mission.
Iranian state media released video and images of the incident, the first direct encounter between Iranian and US forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, captured from a helicopter sent to confront the USS Fitzgerald guided missile destroyer.
“US destroyer ‘Fitzgerald’ attempted to approach waters under Iran’s monitoring, in a provocative move,” reported Iranian state television.
In the footage of the encounter, a helicopter is seen in close proximity to the warship, with an Iranian crew member issuing a radio warning in English to the warship, instructing it to change its course as it neared Iran’s territorial waters around 10am local time (06:00 GMT).
Iranian state media described the exchange as a tense one.

The US destroyer allegedly responded by threatening to target the Iranian aircraft if it didn’t leave, with the vessel leaving the area after continued warnings from the Iranian military.
US Central Command denied the Iranian account of tension, stating the incident was a “safe and professional interaction”.
A US defence official, speaking anonymously to Reuters, also downplayed the seriousness of the encounter.
“This interaction didn’t impact USS Fitzgerald’s mission, and any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods and attempts by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to spread misinformation,” the official said.
Identifying the aircraft as an Iranian SH-3 “Sea King” helicopter, the interaction was said to have taken place entirely in international waters.
The US military got involved in Israel’s war against Iran by bombing Iranian nuclear sites last month, with President Donald Trump calling the strikes a “spectacular” success that “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.
However, media reports in the US, referencing intelligence assessments, suggest the campaign was only partially successful, with only one out of the three Iranian nuclear sites – the Fordow facility – reportedly destroyed.
In an interview aired on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated Tehran’s commitment to its nuclear program for peaceful purposes, and that his country is ready for any future war that Israel might launch against it.
He also expressed pessimism about the ceasefire between the two countries.



Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/24/iranian-helicopter-confronts-us-warship-approaching-territorial-waters?traffic_source=rss

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