An Iranian drone was shot down as it “aggressively approached” an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, a US military spokesman has said.
An F-35C stealth fighter jet which took off from the USS Abraham Lincoln warship shot down the drone “in self-defence” to protect the aircraft carrier and its personnel, US Central Command spokesman Capt Tim Hawkins said.
The ship was approximately 500 miles from the Iranian coast when the drone approached it with “unclear intent”.
No US equipment was damaged and no service members were harmed.
It comes as the US continues to build up a military presence in the region, with tensions high between Washington and Tehran.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to take military action against Iran if it does not negotiate an agreement to restrict its nuclear programme.
He previously raised the prospect of intervening during Tehran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government demonstrations.
Speaking after the downing of the Iranian drone, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that negotiations between the US and Iran are still scheduled for later this week.
She said Trump “remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first”, but added he “has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force”.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has previously warned that any attack on the country would spark a “regional war”.
Tehran has not commented on Tuesday’s drone incident.
Also on Tuesday, Leavitt said US special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s most senior overseas envoy, will attend the talks on behalf of the White house.
US media has previously reported he would meet Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday.
But US news website Axios has since cited two sources as saying Tehran wanted the venue moved to Oman.
