The US shot down an Iranian drone near the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.
The US military shot down an Iranian drone that, according to them, aggressively approached the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea. The US Central Command said that the Shahed 139 drone was flying towards the ship with unclear intentions, after which it was destroyed in self-defence by an F 35C fighter jet based on board the aircraft carrier, Reuters reported.
According to CENTCOM spokesman US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, no American military personnel were injured during the incident, and no damage to equipment was reported. The Iranian mission to the UN did not comment. At the same time, the Iranian agency Tasnim reported that contact with one drone in international waters had been lost, but did not specify the reasons.
The incident took place against the backdrop of diplomatic efforts towards possible nuclear talks between Iran and the US. US President Donald Trump had previously warned that if no agreement was reached, bad things could happen as American ships approached Iran.
Separately, on the same day, a few hours after the drone was shot down, in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the US, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces pursued the US-flagged merchant ship M/V Stena Imperative with an American crew. It was reported that two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached at high speed and threatened to board and seize the tanker. According to the American side, after being escorted by the US Navy ship McFaul, the situation de-escalated and the tanker continued on its way safely.
