The Pentagon reported Monday that an Iranian navy helicopter flew dangerously close to a San Diego-based warship in the Gulf of Oman, circling it three times .
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the helicopter came with 75 feet of the amphibious assault ship USS Essex, but the incident ended without accident or any impact on U.S. naval operations.
“It’s dangerous because it could lead to miscalculations,” Kirby said of the incident.
He did not specify when the incident took place, but the Navy released a photo on Friday of the Essex passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Gulf of Oman is located to the east of this chokepoint at the entrance to the Persian Gulf.
The Essex is a small aircraft carrier with helicopters and vertical takeoff jets. It is the centerpiece of an amphibious ready group carrying the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit from Camp Pendleton.
The Essex and its accompanying ships left San Diego in August on a routine deployment.
Reuters contributed to this article.