US shoots down Iranian drone in Arabian Sea amid tensions, Tehran says… | What we know so far | World News
US-Iran tension: On Tuesday, a US aircraft carrier shot down an Iranian drone in the Oman Sea. The incident involved the USS Abraham Lincoln and reportedly no American personnel were harmed and no US equipment was damaged.
The F-35C fighter jet took off from the aircraft carrier and destroyed the drone.
Also Check: US F-35 shoots down Iranian drone near aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln amid tensions in Arabian Sea
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According to ANI, the US shot down the drone after the drone approached the ship in what the US military described as an “aggressive approach”, CNN reported, citing a US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson.
CNN also reported, citing US CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins, that the USS Abraham Lincoln was transiting international waters about 500 miles off the southern coast of Iran.
“The Iranian drone continued to fly towards the ship despite de-escalation measures taken by US forces operating in international waters,” Hawkins said, according to CNN.
“No American soldiers were harmed and no US equipment was damaged during the incident,” Hawkins said, according to CNN.
What happened after the incident?
According to Hawkins, hours after the incident, two Iranian gunboats operated by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) approached the US-flagged chemical tanker M/V Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the information the official gave to CNN, while the warships passed the ship at high speed three times, an Iranian Mohajer unmanned aerial vehicle flew overhead.
The spokesman stated that during one of the passes, Iranian ships threatened to board and seize the tanker operating in international waters via radio communication.
US military forces in the region responded by deploying USS McFaul, which drove the tanker away from the area, with defensive air support from the US Air Force, and the situation later calmed down.
Describing the incidents as examples of Iran’s “unprofessional and aggressive behavior”, the spokesman stated that such actions increase the risk of miscalculation for ships operating in the region, and warned that the United States will not tolerate harassment in international waters.
US-Iran tensions
This drone incident reportedly occurred days before planned diplomatic talks between US and Iranian officials aimed at preventing military tensions.
Talks between Iran and the US ran into difficulties earlier in the day after Tehran sought changes in the venue, participation and scope of the discussions, sources familiar with the matter reported on CNN, ANI reported.
Meanwhile, the United States increased its military presence in the Middle East last week by deploying its carrier air wing, which includes the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group as well as three guided missile destroyers and F/A-18E Super Hornet, F-35C Lightning II and EA-18G Growler aircraft.
Additionally, three U.S. Navy destroyers, USS McFaul, USS Delbert D. Black, and USS Mitscher, are reportedly operating in the area independently of the carrier strike group.
Iran’s reaction after the UAV incident
According to IANS, Iranian media reports stated that a drone belonging to the Iranian armed forces completed its “surveillance mission” in international waters on Tuesday. This information came shortly after the US military announced that it had shot down an Iranian plane.
Fars news agency, citing unnamed sources, reported that the drone “successfully” monitored military movements in areas neighboring Iran and transmitted data to ground bases in real time. The report stated that such missions are vital for the “general monitoring” of the region.
Meanwhile, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted an informed source as saying that Iran had lost contact with one of the unmanned aerial vehicles, and that the reason for this was being investigated and would be announced once determined.
(with input from agencies)
