Iran warship trained weapons on US helicopter, Navy says

Feb 4: 2015: An MH-60R Seahawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 46 'Grandmasters' takes off from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut. (US Navy)

An Iranian warship trained its weapons on a U.S. Navy helicopter in the Arabian Sea last month, a Navy spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Wednesday -- the latest in a spate of rogue moves in recent months by the Islamic Republic.

The Iranian frigate aimed manned weapons at a U.S. helicopter practicing landings on a coalition vessel being accompanied by the USS Farragut in the Gulf of Aden on July 25, Navy spokesman Lt. Timothy Hawkins told Fox News. The Gulf is located in the Arabian Sea between Yemen and Somalia.

“We characterize this interaction as unsafe and unprofessional,” Hawkins told Fox News.

The weapon was not pointed at the USS Farragut but it did aim at the helicopter -- an MH60 Romeo Seahawk -- as well as a coalition auxiliary ship working with the USS Farragut. Navy vessels are routinely approached by Iranian Navy vessels in the Gulf of Aden but usually from a safe distance.

Hawkins told Fox News that the incident was observed by the USS Farragut and it appeared the Iranians were videotaping the incident.

It was not clear whether the Iranians were planning to use the video for propaganda purposes, U.S. officials said. The Navy could not say if a formal protest was launched by the U.S. to the Iranians.

The move is the latest aggressive act from Iran in recent months. In late April, Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged vessel in the Strait of Hormuz over a legal dispute, which later resulted in the Navy escorting U.S.- and British-flagged cargo ships as they transited the strait.

Also in April, an Iranian convoy with weapons on the decks was trailed by the U.S. Navy.

In May, Iran chased a cargo ship leaving Bahrain into the United Arab Emirates waters after opening fire on the ship.

Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.