THIS is the moment a single Iranian naval helicopter tries to drive away a huge US destroyer in a pathetic show of force.

The USS Fitzgerald was sailing through the Gulf of Oman this morning when the attack helicopter buzzed the guided missile destroyer.

Iranian state media claims the pilot issued a “stern warning” to vacate the waters.

Footage shows the pilot attempting to order the destroyer to “change course” without success.

The destroyer issued threats of its own, Iran said, but “the Iranian pilot… reiterated the warning to stay away from Iranian waters”, forcing the US vessel to “give in” and alter its course.

Iranian forces have a history of confronting US forces in waters off the country’s southern coast.

In 2023, the rogue state said it forced a US submarine to surface while crossing the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Washington denied.

The flashpoint comes at a tense moment between the two nations a month after Donald Trump struck three nuclear sites during Iran’s frenzied 12-day war with Israel.

Iran’s president Masoud Pezeshkian has warned Iran will not halt its nuclear programme despite Trump unleashing the devastating blitz on the trio of facilities.

The leader, who was wounded in the leg during the war and forced to flee a high-profile emergency meeting, said it is as “illusion” for Trump to suggest their nuclear programme has been obliterated.

He said: “Our nuclear capabilities are in the minds of our scientists and not in the facilities.”

The comments echo previous remarks by Tehran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi who said Iran would never abandon its uranium enrichment programme.

Pezeshkian added that Iran remains on guard for any future Israeli attack and doesn’t believe the ceasefire will hold.

He said: “We are fully prepared for any new Israeli military move, and our armed forces are ready to strike deep inside Israel again.”

Reflecting the simmering tensions that remain in the region despite the ceasefire, Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said yesterday there is a possibility of renewed attacks against Iran.

His statements came during a situation assessment with several top Israeli military officials, including the chief of staff.

He stressed the need for an effective plan to ensure that Iran does not restore its nuclear program.

Earlier this week, Araghchi told Fox News: “We cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists.

“And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride.”

The Foreign Minister also said: “Enrichment is so dear to us.”

Aragchi confirmed that the damage done by Donald Trump’s Operation Midnight Hammer on Iran’s nuclear sites had been “serious”.

But he stopped short of commenting on whether any enriched uranium survived the sophisticated attack.

“Our facilities have been damaged – seriously damaged,” Araghchi said.

“The extent of which is now under evaluation by our atomic energy organisation.”

He did confirm, however, that all enrichment capabilities in Iran had been ceased as a result of the facilities being “seriously damaged”.

Iran is due to meet with representatives from Britain, France and Germany on Friday to discuss its nuclear programme.

The European trio have warned that if no progress is reached by the end of August, they will invoke a “snapback” mechanism.

This would reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran that were lifted under a 2015 deal in return for restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme

The three European countries, along with China and Russia, are the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal – from which the United States withdrew in 2018.

Tehran denies seeking a nuclear weapon and says its nuclear programme is solely meant for civilian purposes.

This was despite enrichment levels reaching 60% prior to the US bombardment.

The 12-day war last month kicked off with Operation Rising Lion, which saw Israel attempting to derail Iran’s nuclear programme by striking Tehran’s enrichment facilities.

The Israelis also orchestrated Operation Red Wedding – which saw 30 top Iranian military chiefs killed in a near-simultaneous blitz as Tel Aviv sought to root out the country’s military strength entirely.

Less than a fortnight later, Trump joined the Israeli bombing campaign against Iran with Operation Midnight Hammer.

The US military‘s flagship B-2 Spirit stealth bombers dropped more than a dozen 30,000lb GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs.

The bunker-buster bombs were used to hit Iran’s Fordow Nuclear Enrichment Plant.

The Don celebrated his sophisticated blitz on the Iranian regime – and said that the US bombs went through enemy nuclear sites “like absolute butter“.

Iran, which vowed to hit US military bases across the Middle East, sought its revenge by launching missiles at Al-Udeid Air Base – America’s biggest military station in the region.

But Tehran seemingly cooked up a fake attack after passing warnings to its Qatari allies, which allowed all US service personnel and aircraft to be moved out of harm’s way. 

Trump dubbed the expected response “weak” before announcing that a ceasefire deal had been reached between the Israelis and Iranians.