A United States Navy fighter jet has shot down an Iranian drone that came close to an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, AP reported citing the US military. US Central Command said the incident happened on Tuesday when the drone moved towards the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The military described the drone’s actions as aggressive with “unclear intent”.
In a statement sent by email, Central Command said the drone kept flying towards the ship even after US forces tried to reduce tensions. The carrier was operating in international waters at the time.
The drone was identified as a Shahed-139. It was destroyed by an F-35C fighter jet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln. The aircraft carrier was sailing about 500 miles, or 800 kilometres, from Iran’s southern coastline.
The US military said no American personnel were injured and no equipment was damaged during the incident.
The drone shootdown came only hours after another confrontation in the region. US Central Command said Iranian forces harassed a merchant vessel flying the US flag in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the military, two Iranian boats and a Mohajer drone approached the merchant ship at high speed.
Iran-US tensions and Khamenei’s warning
The United States and Iran are at loggerheads after Donald Trump indicated that the US was mulling military action against Iran amid death of civilians during ardent protests.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, cautioned that any military action by the United States would spark a broader conflict throughout the Middle East. He made the remarks on Sunday as relations between Tehran and Washington remain increasingly strained.
The warning, delivered by the 86-year-old leader, marks his most forceful statement to date and comes amid a heightened US military presence in the region. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, along with additional American warships, has been positioned in the Arabian Sea. The deployment was authorised by President Donald Trump following Iran’s violent suppression of nationwide protests.
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