US accuses Iran of unsafe helo maneuver near US Navy ship

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is accusing Iran of conducting a helicopter flight dangerously close to a U.S. Navy ship in the Gulf of Oman. Pentagon press secretary John Kirby says the Iranian navy helicopter came within about 25 yards of the USS Essex while flying as low as 10 feet off the surface of the water. Kirby on Monday accused the Iranians of “unsafe and unprofessional” conduct. He says the helicopter circled the Essex three times and the Essex’s commander took what he called “appropriate force protection measures,” which Kirby would not describe in detail. The Essex is an amphibious assault ship.