The U.S. Navy reportedly shot down an Iranian drone apparently threatening one of our aircraft carriers on Tuesday, as tensions continued to mount between the two countries’ governments.
Reuters reported that U.S. military officials confirmed to it that the Navy shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone, which “aggressively” approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea today. An F-35 fighter jet took out the drone after it exhibited a pattern “with unclear intent.”
U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins told Reuters, “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.” Fortunately, no American servicemen or equipment were injured in the incident.
The United States has built up its naval presence in the Middle East as it seemed to be preparing for Donald Trump's promised strike on the Islamic regime in Iran. The regime has massacred 30,000+ freedom protesters in the country (per TIME), and Trump originally indicated he was going to take military action to support the protesters. He has not done so, and diplomats have been trying to keep Trump from taking any military action.
The Iranian Islamic regime is one of America’s most aggressively hostile enemies, as Ayatollah Khamenei and his fellow terror-sponsoring authoritarians say that “death to America” is an official policy. Khamenei has repeatedly threatened to assassinate Trump.
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U.S. Central Command does not appear to have issued an official statement on the incident aside from its comments to Reuters. The outlet reported:
Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene during the crackdown, has since demanded Tehran make nuclear concessions and sent a flotilla to its coast. He said last week Iran was "seriously talking," while Tehran's top security official, Ali Larijani, said arrangements for negotiations were under way.
The U.S. military's Central Command said in another incident on Tuesday, hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel.
Hawkins stated, “Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker.”
There is some debate as to why Trump pulled back from striking the Islamic regime, with some reports indicating he did so after talking with pro-Khamenei Qatari officials and other Gulf dictators. It remains to be seen if the Trump administration will take more decisive action after this.
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