U.S. shoots down Iranian Shahed-139 drone that approached USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, military says
Washington — U.S. forces shot down an Iranian drone that flew towards a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, U.S. Central Command confirmed.
The military said the Shahed-139 drone "aggressively" approached the USS Abraham Lincoln as it was crossing through the Arabian Sea roughly 500 miles from the southern coast of Iran and "unnecessarily maneuvered" toward the ship. U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said the drone continued to fly toward the carrier "despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters."
The drone was shot down by a F-35 fighter jet, and no American service members were harmed in the incident, Hawkins said in a statement.
U.S. Central Command also confirmed that hours later, forces with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps harassed a U.S.-flagged and crewed oil tanker, Stena Imperative, that was moving through the Strait of Hormuz. Hawkins said two Iranian military boats and an Iranian drone approached the vessel at "high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker."
The USS McCaul, a guided-missile destroyer that was in the area, responded to the scene to escort the vessel with air support from the U.S. Air Force, according to Hawkins.
"CENTCOM forces are operating at the highest levels of professionalism and ensuring the safety of U.S. personnel, ships, and aircraft in the Middle East," he said. "Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated. Iran's unnecessary aggression near U.S. forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilization."
The U.S. military has in recent days built up its presence near Iran with what President Trump called a "massive armada." The president told reporters last month that the military was sending ships to the Middle East "just in case," as his administration watches Iran's response to massive protests that broke out late last year.
Thousands of protesters are believed to have been killed in response to a crackdown on demonstrations by Iranian authorities.
The president was briefed last month on an array of military options and covert tools that could be used against Iran, two Defense Department officials told CBS News at the time. But U.S. allies in the Middle East are urging the president not to strike Iran and are instead working to broker diplomatic talks, regional officials told CBS News.
Mr. Trump told reporters last week that he has had conversations with Iranian officials and plans to hold more discussions.
"I told them two things: No. 1, no nuclear. And No. 2, stop killing protesters," he said. "They're going to have to do something."