Reference News Network, July 24 report: According to a report by Associated Press on July 23, an Iranian navy helicopter intercepted an American warship attempting to approach Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman on the 23rd.
This is the first direct confrontation between Iranian and American military forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
The report said that around 10 a.m. local time on the 23rd, the U.S. Navy's "Fitzgerald" destroyer attempted to approach the relevant area, and the Iranian military immediately sent a helicopter to intercept it.
The Iranian state television said that the helicopter flew directly over the American ship and issued a warning to maintain distance. The report said that a tense standoff followed, and the American ship responded that if the Iranian aircraft did not leave the area, it would be attacked.
The U.S. Central Command refuted this claim, saying that the confrontation was "safe and professional," had no impact on the mission of the "Fitzgerald" destroyer, and accused Iran of spreading false information.
The Iranian state television report also said that in response to the threat against the American ship, the Iranian air defense forces announced that the helicopter was under the full protection of Iran's integrated air defense system.
The report also said that the "Fitzgerald" eventually "withdrew to the south." (Translated by Wang Dongdong)
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