A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that came near the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday.
The drone, identified as a Shahed-129, approached the carrier “aggressively” with “unclear intent” and did not respond to measures from U.S. forces operating in international waters, said Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins.
The incident occurred about 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast. An F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln carried out the shootdown. No U.S. personnel were injured and no equipment was damaged, according to the military.
Earlier the same day, U.S. officials said Iranian forces harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant vessel, the Stena Imperative, in the Strait of Hormuz. Two Iranian boats and a Mohajer drone approached the ship at high speeds and attempted to board it, Hawkins said.
The destroyer USS McFaul responded, escorting the vessel with air support from the U.S. Air Force. The Stena Imperative continued its transit safely.
The incidents came amid elevated tensions between the U.S. and Iran. President Donald Trump has signaled potential military action tied to both Iran’s response to domestic protests and its nuclear program. U.S. forces have increased their presence in the region, deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln, additional destroyers, and military assets.
Analysts tracking flight data have also reported increased U.S. military cargo flights to the region.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Tuesday he had directed the country’s foreign minister to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations” with the U.S., indicating a possible openness to restarting talks. Talks may take place in Turkey, which has offered to host discussions, though a final venue has not been confirmed.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff is traveling in the region this week.
Tensions have risen again following widespread protests in Iran, which began in late December over economic conditions and later expanded. Trump said earlier this month that the U.S. was working to support the Iranian people and again called for renewed nuclear negotiations.
“We’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great,” Trump told reporters Monday. “And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”
Last year, following U.S. airstrikes on nuclear sites, Iran launched over a dozen missiles at U.S. positions in the region, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. The U.S. maintains several bases in the Middle East, including Al Udeid, the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.
