THE United States military says it shot down an Iranian drone that approached a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, amid continued efforts by regional powers to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran.
In a statement on Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Tim Hawkins said a US fighter jet from the USS Abraham Lincoln “shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board”.
The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C from the Lincoln, which CENTCOM said was sailing about 800km (500 miles) from Iran’s southern coast.
CENTCOM said the drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and it “continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters”.
There was no immediate comment from the Iranian authorities on what happened.
Citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the matter, Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency said communication was lost with a drone in international waters that had “successfully” sent data back to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Tasnim said an investigation was under way to determine why the disconnection took place.
The incident comes as tensions have been easing between Tehran and Washington after US President Donald Trump’s repeated threats to attack Iran over a recent crackdown on antigovernment protests.
Trump, who has also been pushing Iran to agree to talks over the country’s nuclear programme, sent the USS Abraham Lincoln towards Iran last week, fuelling fears of a possible military confrontation.
But amid days of diplomatic efforts, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that he had instructed the country’s foreign minister to “pursue fair and equitable negotiations”.
“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,” he wrote on social media.
“These negotiations shall be conducted within the framework of our national interests,” Pezeshkian added.
The downing of the drone did not appear to alter plans for the talks, which are expected to take place on Friday.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency quoted a foreign ministry spokesperson as saying consultations were underway to select a venue for the meeting, with Turkiye, Oman and several other countries in the region having offered to host.
In an interview with Fox News earlier on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also said Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, “is set to have conversations with the Iranians later this week”.
“Those are still scheduled as of right now,” Leavitt said.