Iran warns off approaching US destroyer in Gulf of Oman

TEHRAN -- A helicopter of the Iranian navy on Wednesday warned a US destroyer against approaching Iran's territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, forcing it to change its course, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.

The USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) sought to sail towards waters under Iran's supervision at around 10:00 am local time (0630 GMT) on Wednesday when it got the warning from the helicopter dispatched immediately by the air unit of the Iranian Navy's Third Naval Region, also known as Nabovvat, the report said.

According to Tasnim, after receiving the warning, the US destroyer threatened to target the Iranian helicopter and asked it to leave the region. The Iranian helicopter "continued its mission decisively and repeated its warning."

The US destroyer reiterated its threat, but changed its course southward following continued warning, the report said.

There was no immediate comment from the US side.

The latest confrontation comes after the United States on June 22 targeted Iran's nuclear sites during a 12-day war with Israel.