TEHRAN – Iranian forces repelled the U.S. destroyer DDG Fitzgerald from approaching Iran's monitored waters in the Oman Sea early Wednesday.

At 10:00 AM, the Prophet Muhammad Third Naval District deployed a helicopter, warning the vessel away as it neared sensitive boundaries.

The intrusive U.S. warship threatened to target the Iranian helicopter, demanding its departure. The Iranian pilot persisted, reiterating warnings to vacate Iran's maritime zone.

Faced with Iran's resolve and air defense backing, the U.S. warship complied, altering course southward away from Iran's sovereign waters.

This underscores Tehran's resolve in upholding its strategic red lines against U.S. encroachment—clearly demonstrated during Iran’s calibrated act of self-defense targeting the Al-Udeid Air Base in June, where a precision strike damaged a vital radar system and temporarily disrupted American surveillance capabilities.

“The Islamic Republic delivered a hard slap to America's face,” declared the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, warning that Iran’s access to key U.S. installations in the region “can be repeated.”