Iranian helicopter flies around US navy assault ship in Persian Gulf

An Iranian military helicopter circled a US assault ship at the closest possible distance near its territorial waters in the Persian Gulf, Iranian media reported on Saturday.

A 42-second clip of the Iranian navy helicopter conducting a reconnaissance flight over the USS Essex Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD-2) was published by the Iranian Tasnim news agency. The video also showed the ship's activated radar as the copter was flying closer.

Tensions between Iran and the United States have recently escalated, with the US in October imposing sanctions on four Iranian nationals, amid the announcements about intentions to return to the talks about resuming the nuclear deal.

In early November, Iranian media reported of the navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps preventing seizure of an oil tanker by the US in the Gulf of Oman, saying that Washington wanted to hinder Tehran's oil exports.

On Tuesday, Iranian air defense forces intercepted two American drones following the conclusion of the Zolfaqar-1400 military exercise in the south of the country. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )