An Iranian drone was shot down as it 'aggressively approached' an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, a U.S. military spokesman has said.
An F-35C stealth fighter jet that took off from the USS Abraham Lincoln fired on the drone 'in self-defense' to protect the aircraft carrier and its personnel, according to Capt. Tim Hawkins of U.S. Central Command.
The USS Abraham Lincoln was approximately 500 miles from the Iranian coast when the drone approached with 'unclear intent.'
No U.S. equipment was damaged and no service members were harmed.
This incident comes amid an ongoing buildup of U.S. military presence in the region, where tensions between Washington and Tehran are persistently high.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Iran if it does not negotiate restrictions on its nuclear program. He previously linked military intervention to Tehran's violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
Following the drone incident, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are still scheduled for later this week. She emphasized that Trump prefers diplomacy but has military options available.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any attack on Iran would trigger a 'regional war.'
Tehran has not yet commented on the incident involving the drone.
In a separate incident, U.S. military forces reported that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, prompting military support which led to the safe passage of the tanker.
Recent reports indicate that Iran is open to negotiations, contingent on suitable conditions, as U.S. military actions have previously posed a significant threat to Iranian interests.
