CENTCOM denies Iranian claims of U.S. Navy helicopter crash in Red Sea

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has officially denied reports from Iranian state media claiming that a U.S. Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopter crashed in the Red Sea. The denial follows claims by outlets such as IRIB and Tasnim News Agency that the aircraft declared an emergency—specifically citing squawk code 7700—before disappearing from flight-tracking data near the Saudi Arabian port city of Yanbu.

CENTCOM clarified that all American military aircraft and personnel in the Middle East are safe and accounted for, labeling the reports of a downed helicopter as false. While flight-tracking data showed the helicopter's altitude dropping to zero before it disappeared from public services, the command maintains that no operational naval assets were lost.

The incident occurs amid heightened regional tensions and a U.S. naval blockade against Iran. CENTCOM reported that the blockade has resulted in the redirection of 130 vessels, and military forces have been actively acting against ships attempting to violate the blockade or participate in clandestine networks.