WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the plane service USS Abraham Lincoln within the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command mentioned Tuesday, threatening to ramp up tensions because the Trump administration warns of attainable army motion to get Iran to the negotiating desk.
The drone “aggressively approached” the plane service with “unclear intent” and stored flying towards it “regardless of de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces working in worldwide waters,” Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins mentioned in a press release.
The shootdown occurred inside hours of Iranian forces harassing a U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed service provider vessel that was crusing within the Strait of Hormuz, the American army mentioned.
The developments may additional escalate the heightened tensions between the longtime adversaries as President Donald Trump has threatened to make use of army motion first over Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests after which to attempt to get the nation to make a deal over its nuclear program. Trump’s Republican administration has constructed up army forces within the area, sending the plane service, guided-missile destroyers, air protection property and extra to complement its presence.
The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln, which was crusing about 500 miles (800 kilometers) from Iran’s southern coast, Hawkins mentioned. No American troops have been harmed, and no U.S. gear was broken, the army’s assertion famous.
Hours earlier than the drone was shot down, Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on Telegram that he had spoken together with his counterparts in Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey and Oman relating to regional developments and the significance of defending “regional stability and safety.”
US says Iran additionally harassed a service provider vessel
Hours after the shootdown, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces harassed the service provider vessel Stena Crucial, the army mentioned. Two boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached the ship “at excessive speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins’ assertion mentioned.
The destroyer USS McFaul responded and escorted the Stena Crucial “with defensive air assist from the U.S. Air Pressure,” the assertion mentioned, including that the service provider vessel was now crusing safely.
Tensions started to rise once more between the U.S. and Iran because the Islamic Republic spent weeks quelling protests that started in late December in opposition to rising financial instability earlier than broadening right into a problem to the nation’s ruling theocracy.
Trump had promised in early January to “rescue” Iranians from their authorities’s protest crackdown earlier than beginning to strain Tehran once more to make a deal over its nuclear program. That’s even because the Republican president insists Iranian nuclear websites have been “obliterated” in U.S. strikes in June.
“Now we have talks happening with Iran. We’ll see the way it all works out,” Trump instructed reporters Monday. Requested what his threshold was for army motion in opposition to Iran, he declined to elaborate.
“I’d wish to see a deal negotiated,” Trump mentioned. “Proper now, we’re speaking to them, we’re speaking to Iran, and if we may work one thing out, that’d be nice. And if we will’t, in all probability dangerous issues would occur.”
Iran’s president mentioned Tuesday that he instructed the nation’s international minister to “pursue truthful and equitable negotiations” with the U.S., marking one of many first clear indicators from Tehran that it needs to attempt to negotiate with Washington regardless of a breakdown of talks final summer time.
Turkey had been working behind the scenes to make the talks occur there later this week as U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff is touring within the area. A Turkish official later mentioned the placement of talks was unsure however that Turkey was able to assist the method.
US army builds up presence within the area
In the meantime, the U.S. army has been shifting a rising variety of property into the area over the previous a number of weeks, together with the Lincoln and several other destroyers, which arrived final week.
The service strike group, which introduced roughly 5,700 further service members, joined three destroyers and three littoral fight ships that have been already within the area.
Analysts of flight-tracking information even have seen dozens of U.S. army cargo planes heading to the area.
The exercise is much like final 12 months when the U.S. moved in air protection {hardware}, like a Patriot missile system, in anticipation of an Iranian counterattack following the U.S. bombing three key nuclear websites. Iran launched greater than a dozen missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar days after the strikes.
The U.S. has a number of bases within the Center East, together with Al Udeid, which hosts 1000’s of American troops and is the ahead headquarters for U.S. Central Command.
___
Amiri reported from New York.
© Copyright 2026 Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials will not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
