Iran forces U.S. destroyer to leave Gulf of Oman

An Iranian navy helicopter confronted a U.S. warship attempting to approach Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, Iranian state TV reported.

The report said Iranian forces dispatched the helicopter to confront a U.S. 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 U.S. ship and issued a warning to maintain distance.

The U.S. warship reportedly responded by threatening to target the Iranian aircraft if it did not leave the area.

The Iranian state TV report said that in response to the threats from the U.S. 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.