A US Navy fighter jet destroyed an Iranian drone Tuesday after the unmanned aircraft flew toward the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, according to US Central Command.
An F-35C pilot launched from the Lincoln shot down the approaching Shahed-139 drone in self-defense, Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins said. The Iranian aircraft continued advancing despite US de-escalation attempts in international waters.
No American personnel sustained injuries, and no US equipment suffered damage in the incident, which occurred approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast, according to DefenseScoop.
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Hours after the shootdown, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps forces approached the US-flagged merchant vessel Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz. Two IRGC boats and a Mohajer drone moved at high speeds toward the tanker, threatening to board and seize it, Central Command reported. The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul responded with US Air Force support and de-escalated the confrontation.
President Donald Trump told reporters the scheduled negotiations with Iran continue despite the military incidents. “They are negotiating. They’d like to do something, and we’ll see if something is going to be done,” Trump said, according to Al Jazeera.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Special Envoy Steve Witkoff plans to meet with Iranian officials later this week. The talks remain scheduled as of Tuesday, she said during a Fox News interview.
The Lincoln carrier strike group arrived in the Middle East last month. The US maintains six additional Navy ships in the region, including destroyers near the Strait of Hormuz and in the Red Sea.Oil futures prices climbed more than $1 per barrel following news of the drone shootdown, Reuters reported.
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