Author: Idris Ali and Phil Stewart
Feb 3 (Reuters) – The U.S. military said it shot down an Iranian drone on Tuesday that “aggressively” approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, the incident was first reported by Reuters.
The incident comes as diplomats seek to arrange nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, with US President Donald Trump warning warships are heading towards Iran that “bad things” could happen if a deal is not reached.
Oil futures rose more than $1 a barrel following news of the drone downing.
The U.S. military said the Iranian Shahed-139 drone flew towards the aircraft carrier with “unknown intentions” and was shot down by a U.S. F-35 fighter jet.
“An Abraham Lincoln F-35C fighter jet shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the carrier and personnel on board,” said Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for U.S. Central Command.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations declined to comment.
He added that no U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged in the incident.
The Lincoln carrier strike group is the most visible part of a U.S. troop surge in the Middle East following last month’s violent crackdown on anti-government demonstrations, Iran’s worst civil unrest since the 1979 revolution.
Trump, who did not threaten to intervene during the crackdown, has since demanded nuclear concessions from Tehran and sent a flotilla of ships to its coast. He said last week that Iran was in “serious discussions,” while Tehran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said negotiating arrangements were underway.
Iranian ships harass US-flagged oil tanker
In a separate incident in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps troops harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant ship crewed by an American crew just hours after a drone was shot down, according to the U.S. military.
“Two Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached the M/V Stena Imperative at high speed and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins said.
Maritime risk management group Vanguard Group said the Iranian ship ordered the tanker to stop its engines and prepare to board the ship. Instead, the tanker accelerated and continued sailing.
Hawkins said that a U.S. Navy warship, the USS McFaul, was conducting missions in the area and was escorting the Steiner Command.
“The situation has de-escalated and the U.S.-flagged tanker is sailing safely,” Hawkins added.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Rod Nickel)
