US F-35 shoots down Iranian drone near aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln amid tense Arabian Sea standoff

The US military shot down an Iranian drone that got too close to the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday.

The US military shot down an Iranian drone that got too close to the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday.

The Iranian Shahed-139 flew aggressively toward the carrier with unclear intent and was taken out by a US F-35 fighter jet, reported Reuters.

The report further quoted Navy Captain Tim Hawkins from US Central Command, who said an F-35C fighter jet from the Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense to protect the carrier and its crew.

No US service members were hurt, and no American equipment was damaged during the incident, he added.

This happened as diplomats worked to set up nuclear talks between Iran and the US, while President Donald Trump warned that with US warships moving toward Iran, "bad things" could happen if no deal is reached.

The Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group leads a major US military buildup in the Middle East after Iran's violent crackdown on anti-government protests last month, the deadliest unrest since the 1979 revolution.

Trump held back from intervening in Iran's crackdown but now demands nuclear concessions from Tehran and has sent warships to its coast. Last week, he said Iran was "seriously talking," while top Iranian official Ali Larijani confirmed negotiations are being arranged.

Hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Revolutionary Guard harassed a US-flagged merchant ship, with two IRGC boats and a Mohajer drone racing toward the M/V Stena Imperative and threatening to board and seize it, per US Central Command's Captain Hawkins.

Tensions between the US and Iran have simmered for months, driven by stalled nuclear talks and Iran's aggressive regional moves.

The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, also confirmed the US striking an Iranian drone near the Arabian Sea, saying CENTCOM decided to shoot down the Iranian drone because it was unmanned and acting aggressively toward the USS Lincoln. As for the President, Trump, he remains committed to pursuing diplomacy first, but diplomacy requires effort from both sides.

US Official White House Rapid Response shared on its X handle, quoting Leavitt, “CENTCOM did make the decision to shoot down that Iranian drone. It was unmanned, it was acting aggressively towards our USS Lincoln...As for @POTUS, he remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first—but in order for diplomacy to work, of course, it takes two to tango."

Tensions within Tehran started last month with anti-regime protests. Security forces killed hundreds, prompting global outrage and US threats of intervention. President Trump stopped short of military action but vowed consequences.

Trump then demanded that Tehran offer nuclear concessions to restart talks. He deployed the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and other warships toward Iran's coast as leverage. Last week, Trump said Iran was "seriously talking," while official Ali Larijani confirmed negotiations were advancing.

The US buildup aimed to deter Iranian provocations amid fragile diplomacy, but both sides escalated with direct confrontations.