A Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln, as U.S. forces also responded to harassment of a U.S.-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed regional tensions.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, escalating tensions as the Trump administration continues to warn of possible military action aimed at pressuring Tehran back to the negotiating table.
According to Central Command, the Iranian drone “aggressively approached” the carrier with “unclear intent” and continued flying toward the ship despite U.S. forces taking de-escalatory measures while operating in international waters. Capt. Tim Hawkins, a Central Command spokesman, said the drone was destroyed after it failed to alter course.
The drone was identified as a Shahed-139 and was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln. At the time of the incident, the carrier was operating roughly 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast. The U.S. military said no American personnel were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged.
The shootdown occurred within hours of another confrontation involving Iranian forces. Central Command said Iranian units harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz. In a separate statement, Hawkins said two fast-moving boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached the tanker Stena Imperative at high speed and threatened to board and seize the vessel.
The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul responded to the incident and escorted the Stena Imperative through the area, supported by U.S. Air Force aircraft. The military said the merchant vessel later continued its voyage safely.
The incidents unfolded against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran. Strains have intensified in recent weeks as Iran’s government suppressed protests that began in late December over economic instability and expanded into broader opposition to the ruling Islamic Republic.
President Donald Trump has said the United States would increase pressure on Iran to compel negotiations over its nuclear program, even as he has maintained that Iranian nuclear sites were “obliterated” in U.S. strikes carried out in June. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump said diplomatic talks were underway but declined to define a threshold for military action.
“We have talks going on with Iran. We’ll see how it all works out,” Trump said. “I’d like to see a deal negotiated. Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”
The drone shootdown came hours after Iran’s president said Tuesday that he had instructed the country’s foreign minister to pursue what he described as “fair and equitable negotiations” with the United States, signaling renewed interest in diplomacy following the collapse of talks last summer.
U.S. officials said Turkey has been working behind the scenes to facilitate renewed discussions, with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff traveling in the region. A Turkish official later said the location of any potential talks remained uncertain but that Ankara was prepared to support the diplomatic process.
The U.S. military said it will continue to operate in international waters and airspace to protect American forces and commercial shipping, warning that it will respond decisively to any actions that threaten U.S. personnel or vessels.
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