An Iranian Shahed-139 drone was shot down by a US F-35 fighter jet as it approached the USS Abraham Lincoln amid escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran
The US Navy has downed an Iranian drone that was heading towards the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East on Tuesday. The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was intercepted and shot down by a F-35 US fighter jet in the Arabian Sea, the US military has said.
The US Central Command said in a statement that the drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and it “continued to fly towards the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters”.
The US military said the incident also occurred within hours of another incident in which Iranian forces harassed a US-flagged and US-crewed merchant vessel that was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln, which, according to US Central Command, was sailing about 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast.
The military’s statement noted that no American troops were harmed and no equipment was damaged.
It comes as President Donald Trump has been escalating tensions with Iran for several weeks, issuing threats of military action against the Tehran regime.
Last week saw the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft-carrier group enter the Central Command’s zone of responsibility. This colossal nuclear-powered supercarrier typically houses between 60 to 90 aircraft.
Trump informed Axios last week that the situation in Iran was “in flux,” and that the American military presence near Iran was larger than the one he had stationed near Venezuela.
“We have a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela,” he stated. An Iranian official had previously cautioned that any attack would be considered as “all-out war,” promising a response to any breach of Iran’s sovereignty.
The deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying destroyers gives the US the capability to strike Iran, even as Gulf Arab states hosting American troops indicate their desire to stay out of any conflict.
With over 70 F-35C and F/A-18 jets onboard, the USS Abraham Lincoln is capable of executing missions ranging from air superiority to precision strikes.
Backed by destroyers equipped with Tomahawk missiles and Aegis radar systems, the carrier strike group is a formidable force, particularly as tensions escalate with Iran.
Earlier today, Iran’s president announced that he has directed his foreign minister to engage in “fair and equitable negotiations” with the US. This comes amid rumours that high-ranking officials from both nations are set to convene in Istanbul later this week for discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme.
President Masoud Pezeshkian stated on X: “I have instructed my minister of foreign affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists – one free from threats and unreasonable expectations – to pursue fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency.”