The U.S. military has successfully downed an Iranian drone that was reportedly advancing “aggressively” towards an American aircraft carrier stationed in the Arabian Sea.
This development unfolded amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to initiate nuclear discussions between Iran and the U.S. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump issued a cautionary message to Iran, suggesting that “bad things” could occur if a nuclear agreement fails to materialize, especially with U.S. naval forces moving closer to Iranian waters.
According to U.S. military reports, the Iranian Shahed-139 drone was intercepted as it approached the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln with undetermined intentions. It was neutralized by an F-35 fighter jet on Tuesday.
U.S. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, speaking for the military’s central command, stated, “An F-35C fighter jet from the Abraham Lincoln took down the Iranian drone in an act of self-defense to safeguard the carrier and its crew.”
He confirmed that no American personnel were injured, nor was any U.S. military equipment compromised during the event.
The Iranian mission to the United Nations chose not to provide any comments on the incident.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said a connection had been lost with a drone in international waters, but the reason was unknown.
The Lincoln carrier strike group is the most visible part of a US military buildup in the Middle East following a violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last month, the deadliest domestic unrest in Iran since its 1979 revolution.
Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene during the crackdown, has since demanded Iran make nuclear concessions and sent a flotilla to its coast.
He said last week Iran was “seriously talking,” while Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said arrangements for negotiations were underway.
Iranian boats harass US-flagged tanker
In a separate incident on Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, just hours after the drone was shot down, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces harassed a US-flagged oil/chemical tanker, according to the US military.
“Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins said.
Maritime risk management group Vanguard said the Iranian boats ordered the tanker to stop its engine and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and continued its voyage.
Hawkins said a US Navy warship, the McFaul, was operating in the area and escorted the Stena Imperative.
“The situation de-escalated as a result, and the US-flagged tanker is proceeding safely.”
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