Key points
- First direct Iran-US encounter since Israel-Iran conflict
- Iran claims US destroyer threatened its helicopter
- US denies tension, calls interaction safe and professional
ISLAMABAD: An Iranian naval helicopter confronted a US warship that was reportedly attempting to approach Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, according to Iranian state television.
The incident marks the first direct encounter between Iranian and US forces since the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, during which US B-52 bombers carried out strikes on nuclear-related sites within the Islamic Republic.
❗️ Iranian helicopter forces US destroyer DDG Fitzgerald to ‘surrender’ and leave Iranian waters in Sea of Oman — Tasnim News
Even after the US destroyer ‘threatened to target the Iranian helicopter’ pic.twitter.com/EcEjR1p62u
— RT (@RT_com) July 23, 2025
According to the report, Iranian forces deployed the helicopter to intercept a US Navy destroyer identified as the USS Fitzgerald, which neared the waters at approximately 10 am local time, reports AP News.
Iranian state TV claimed the helicopter flew directly over the US vessel and issued a warning to keep its distance. During what was described as a tense exchange, the US warship allegedly responded by threatening to engage the Iranian aircraft unless it withdrew from the area.
Professional interaction
However, US Central Command refuted the account, describing the encounter as a “safe and professional interaction” that had no effect on the USS Fitzgerald’s mission. It dismissed alternative versions of events as “falsehoods” and accused Iran of attempting to disseminate misinformation.
Iranian state media further claimed that, in response to the US threats, Iranian air defence forces declared the helicopter was fully protected by the country’s integrated air defence network.
The report concluded by stating that the USS Fitzgerald eventually “retreated southward”.
It remains unclear how close the US warship came to Iranian territorial waters.
