A US Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian military aircraft Tuesday after it aggressively approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command announced.
An F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln engaged and destroyed the Iranian Shahed-139 drone in international waters approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast, according to CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins.
“USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship,” Hawkins stated.
The drone approached the carrier with what CENTCOM described as “unclear intent” and continued flying toward the vessel despite attempts by U.S. forces to defuse the situation.
“The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters,” Hawkins said. “An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board.”
No US service members were injured and no American equipment was damaged in the incident.
The shootdown occurred just hours before a separate confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant vessel.
“Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins said.
The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul responded immediately to protect the commercial tanker, with defensive air support provided by the US Air Force. The Iranian gunboats retreated and the civilian vessel proceeded safely.
Iran’s Shahed-139 drones are long-range, one-way attack unmanned aircraft capable of carrying more than 100 pounds of explosives. Russia has used large numbers of similar Iranian-made drones to attack Ukraine, which the Russians have purchased by selling sanctioned gas and oil to the Iranians.
The USS Abraham Lincoln and her carrier group arrived in the Middle East last week as part of what President Trump described as a “massive Armada” heading toward Iran.
Trump announced the deployment in a post on Truth Social last week, writing that the fleet “is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose.”
“It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela,” Trump stated. “Like with Venezuela, it is, ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday that planned nuclear talks with Iran remain scheduled despite the military confrontations.
“I just spoke with special envoy [Steve] Witkoff, and these talks, as of right now, are still scheduled,” Leavitt told reporters. “President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango.”
Trump told reporters Monday that he hopes to reach an agreement with Iran but warned of consequences if negotiations fail.
“We have talks going on with Iran. We’ll see how it all works out,” Trump said from the Oval Office. “I’d like to see a deal negotiated. Right now, we’re talking to them, we’re talking to Iran, and if we could work something out, that’d be great. And if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”
The president’s goal for any agreement is preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.