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Reuters
7 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
China, US trade barbs over destroyer passage near Scarborough Shoal
BEIJING, Aug 13 (Reuters) - China's military said on Wednesday it monitored and "drove away" a U.S. destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, while the U.S. Navy said its action was in line with international law. The first known U.S. military operation in at least six years within the shoal's waters came a day after the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of "dangerous manoeuvres and unlawful interference" during a supply mission around the atoll. In a statement, the Chinese military's Southern Theatre Command said the USS Higgins had entered the waters "without approval of the Chinese government" on Wednesday. "The U.S. move seriously violated China's sovereignty and security, severely undermined peace and stability in the South China Sea," it added, vowing to keep a "high alert at all times". In response, the U.S. Navy's Seventh Fleet said, "China's statement about this mission is false," adding that the Higgins had "asserted navigational rights and freedoms" near the Scarborough Shoal "consistent with international law". The operation reflected the U.S. commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea, it told Reuters in an emailed statement. "The United States is defending its right to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, as USS Higgins did here. Nothing China says otherwise will deter us." China claims almost the entire South China Sea, overlapping the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Unresolved disputes have festered for years over ownership of various islands and features. The U.S. regularly carries out "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea, challenging what it says are curbs on innocent passage imposed by China and other claimants. The Scarborough Shoal has been a major source of tension in the strategic conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual ship-borne commerce. The actions of Chinese vessels in the shoal this week also resulted in a collision of two of them, Manila said, the first such known in the area. On Wednesday, the Philippine coast guard said the objective of the two Chinese vessels had been to "completely block" it from getting near Scarborough Shoal. On Monday, China's coast guard said it had taken "necessary measures" to expel Philippine vessels from the waters. In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal ruled there was no basis in international law for Beijing's claims, based on its historic maps. China does not recognise that decision, however.
Al Jazeera
24-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Iranian helicopter confronts US warship approaching territorial waters
Iran has said it warned a United States Navy destroyer to change course as it approached Iranian territorial waters in the Gulf of Oman, but the US has claimed the confrontation was 'professional' and had 'no impact' on its naval mission. Iranian state media published video and images of Wednesday's incident – the first direct encounter reported between Iranian and US forces since the 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June – taken from a helicopter dispatched to confront the USS Fitzgerald guided missile destroyer. 'US destroyer 'Fitzgerald' attempted to approach waters under Iran's monitoring, in a provocative move', Iranian state television said. In video footage of the reported encounter, a helicopter is seen flying in close proximity to the warship and an Iranian crew member can be heard issuing what appeared to be a radio warning in English to the warship, ordering it to change course as it was approaching Iran's territorial waters at about 10am local time (06:00 GMT). Iranian state media have described the encounter as a tense exchange. IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News on Wednesday released footage it claimed showed an Iranian navy helicopter forcing the USS Fitzgerald, a US guided missile destroyer, to alter its course. The report said the warship had approached waters under Iran's supervision in the Sea of Oman. — Iran International English (@IranIntl_En) July 23, 2025 The US destroyer reportedly responded by threatening to target the Iranian aircraft if it did not leave. The vessel eventually departed the area upon continued warnings from the Iranian military. US Central Command disputed the Iranian account of tension, calling the incident a 'safe and professional interaction'. Asked about the encounter, a US defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity with the Reuters news agency, also downplayed its seriousness. 'This interaction had no impact to USS Fitzgerald's mission, and any reports claiming otherwise are falsehoods and attempts by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to spread misinformation,' the official said. The official, who said the interaction took place entirely in international waters, identified the aircraft as an Iranian SH-3 'Sea King' helicopter. The US military inserted itself into Israel's war against Iran last month when it bombed Iranian nuclear sites. US President Donald Trump hailed the strikes as a 'spectacular' success that 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear programme. But media reports in the US, citing intelligence assessments, suggest the campaign was only partially successful, with just one of the three Iranian nuclear sites – the Fordow facility – reportedly destroyed. In an interview broadcast on Wednesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was committed to continuing its nuclear programme for peaceful purposes, and that his country is prepared for any future war that Israel might wage against it. He added that he was not optimistic about the ceasefire between the countries.
