Arya News - The US has shot down an Iranian drone that was “aggressively” approaching its aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the military has said.
The US has shot down an Iranian drone that was “aggressively” approaching its aircraft carrier in the Middle East, the military has said.
An F35 stealth warplane shot down the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as it headed towards the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, according to a US military spokesman.
The UAV was a Shahed-139 drone , which can carry an explosive warhead.
“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defence and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board,” Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said in a statement.
The incident threatens to escalate the standoff between Iran and the US, which has amassed a significant military force in the region in response to Tehran’s lethal crackdown on protests last month.
Donald Trump is now threatening to use military force against the regime unless it enters negotiations about its stockpile of nuclear material and ballistic missile production.
The incident happened on the same day an American-flagged ship was approached by Iranian regime gunboats, risking a further escalation.
The Stena Imperative, an oil and chemicals tanker, was challenged by six armed vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.
According to the British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech, the machine gun-mounted boats approached the ship in pairs and ordered it by radio to stop its engines and prepare to be boarded.
The Danish-owned but US-flagged ship, which was in international waters about 16 nautical miles off Oman, ignored the command and increased speed.
An American destroyer – the USS McFaul – responded with support from the US Air Force and escorted the tanker, which is now “proceeding safely”, Captain Hawkins said.
The six armed boats belonged to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC), Iran’s elite ideological military force which is ultra-loyal to the ayatollahs.
Last week, the IRGC threatened to carry out naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz, which the US warned against and it appears they were called off.
It has also threatened to block the Strait in the event of a war.
The narrow sea lane is a key passage for global transport of oil and liquefied natural gas, and has been the scene of several incidents in the past.
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Last year, the IRGC seized a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, and before that a Portuguese-flagged vessel.
In 2019, they seized the British-flagged Stena Impero for alleged “navigational misbehaviour”, prompting the UK Government to accuse Tehran of breaching international law.
The IRGC infamously captured six Royal Marines and two Royal Navy personnel when they were training Iraq river patrol units in 2004.
Iranian authorities disputed Vanguard Tech’s report of a security incident in the Strait of Hormuz, saying a vessel that entered territorial waters without authorisation departed immediately after being warned.
Officials told the Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, that monitoring units spotted the vessel entering Iranian territorial waters on Tuesday afternoon and requested the necessary permits for passage.
“The ship lacked any legal authorisation to be present in these waters,” the officials said. “Therefore, it was warned, and the ship immediately left Iranian waters after receiving the warning.”
Iran’s hardline Kayhan newspaper called for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz last week, claiming the Islamic Republic has a legal right under international law to block the strategic waterway.
The newspaper, whose editor is directly appointed by supreme leader Ali Khamenei, said Iran could close the Strait “based on the right of reciprocal action or retaliation recognised in international law”.
“When the enemy has drawn the sword, we are not supposed to greet them with a diplomatic smile,” the paper wrote.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, confirmed the drone was shot down by the US navy “to protect our US Personnel and equipment in the region”.
The White House confirmed an F35 jet shot down the Iranian drone - Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto
“[Central Command] make the decision to shoot down that Iranian drone,” Mrs Leavitt said. “It was unmanned, it was acting aggressively towards our USS Lincoln.”
Mrs Leavitt said Mr Trump remains committed to pursuing diplomacy but “it takes two to tango”.
“You need a willing partner to engage,” she said. “And so that’s something the president and special envoy [Steve] Witkoff are exploring and discussing right now.”
She reiterated that all options remain on the table including “the use of military force”.
Meanwhile, Iran demanded that this week’s talks with the US are held in Oman not Turkey, and that their scope is narrowed to nuclear issues only, a regional source said on Tuesday, casting doubt on whether they will go ahead as planned.
The talks are currently scheduled for Friday in Istanbul. Regional players have pushed for a resolution to the standoff.
Mrs Leavitt told Fox News that talks with Iran were still scheduled to take place later this week.
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