Tehran: An Iranian navy helicopter confronted a US warship attempting to approach Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, Iranian state TV reported.
The incident was the first direct encounter reported between Iranian and US forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, which also saw the US B-52 bombers strike nuclear-related facilities in the Islamic Republic.
The report said Iranian forces dispatched the helicopter to confront a US Navy destroyer identified as the USS Fitzgerald that approached the waters at around 10 a.m. local time.
The Iranian state TV said the helicopter flew directly over the US ship and issued a warning to maintain distance. In what the report described as a tense exchange, the US warship reportedly responded by threatening to target the Iranian aircraft if it did not leave the area.
US Central Command disputed the account, calling the encounter a “safe and professional interaction” and that it had no impact on the USS Fitzgerald’s mission. It said “any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods” and attempts by Iran to spread misinformation.
The Iranian state TV report said that in response to the threats from the US vessel, Iranian air defense forces announced that the helicopter was under the full protection of Iran’s integrated air defense system.
Eventually, the USS Fitzgerald “retreated southward,” the report said.
It was not immediately clear how close the US warship was to Iranian territorial waters.
