Iran releases footage of helicopter approaching USS EssexNovember 22, 2021 - 13:41 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian media on Monday, November 22 published video purporting to show a military helicopter come within yards of the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship sailing in the Gulf of Oman, Fox News reports. The Pentagon accused Iran of "unsafe and unprofessional" conduct after the naval helicopter got within 25 yards of the Essex and circled the ship three times. "Without getting into specifics, the crew of the Essex took the appropriate force protection measures they felt that they needed to, and they acted in accordance with international law," John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said. The incident occurred on Nov. 11. Kirby said there was no impact on the ship’s operations. The U.S. Naval Institute (USNI News) reported that the Essex is in the Persian Gulf carrying out training operations with the HMS Queen Elizabeth, the Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier and flagship. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to an after-hours email from Fox News. Stars and Stripes reported that the helicopter flew near the Essex’s port side and got "as low as about 10 feet off the surface of the ocean." "When you have another armed force — in this case, the Iranian navy — that flies like this, you definitely run the risk of some sort of escalation and a miscalculation on either side here, and that's not helpful," he said. "This one ended peacefully, but it doesn't mean it was safe and professional. It absolutely wasn't." Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |