Defense official disputes Iranian report of encounter with US warship
A U.S. Navy warship had a “safe and professional interaction” with Iranian naval forces on Wednesday, disputing claims in an Iranian state media report, according to a U.S. defense official.
“At 10:50 a.m. [Wednesday], USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) had a safe and professional interaction with an Iranian SH-3 ‘Sea King’ helicopter while operating in international waters,” the defense official said in an emailed statement.
Iranian state TV reported Wednesday that an Iranian navy helicopter confronted a U.S. warship attempting to approach Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, according to The Associated Press.
- The event marks the first reported interaction between Iranian and U.S. forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, during which U.S. B-2 Spirit bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities.
- The report claimed that the destroyer threatened to target the Iranian helicopter unless it left the area. But the helicopter pilot persisted, Tasnim said, and the USS Fitzgerald ultimately changed course.
- The direct clash between the Iranian and American armed forces comes amid rising tensions in the region due to the escalating Israeli threats to resume the aggression on Iran.
Source: Al-Manar English Website and other websites
- The confrontation occurred when the USS Fitzgerald guided missile destroyer approached waters that Iran considers under its monitoring.
- Iranian state television reported that the helicopter flew in close proximity to the warship around 10 a.m. local time, with crew members issuing radio warnings in English ordering the vessel to change course.
- AP News explained that during the tense exchange, the US vessel responded to Iranian warnings by threatening to target the aircraft if it remained in the area.
- Iranian air defense forces then announced that the helicopter was under full protection of Iran's integrated air defense system.
US defense officials strongly disputed Iran's version of events, with Fox News reporting that American military sources called the encounter safe and professional rather than confrontational. The defense official emphasized that the USS Fitzgerald was operating in international waters off the Gulf of Oman throughout the entire incident, contradicting Iranian claims about territorial water violations.
Fox News coverage highlighted that US Central Command maintained the interaction had no impact on the destroyer's mission and dismissed Iranian reports as misinformation spread by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The American military stated it would continue to operate safely and professionally, according to international norms and customs.
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