US shoots down Iranian drone – Reuters
The US military shot down an Iranian drone on Tuesday after it “aggressively” approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, Reuters has reported, citing US officials.
An Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying toward the carrier “with unclear intent,” Reuters wrote, citing the US military.
The reported incident comes as a US ‘armada’ led by the Abraham Lincoln is positioning itself in the region and diplomatic efforts to arrange nuclear talks between Iran and the US are underway.
“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,” a spokesperson at the US military’s Central Command, Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, told Reuters. No Americans were harmed in the incident, he added.
Oil futures rose more than $1 per barrel after the news.
According to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, negotiations between the US and Iranian teams were planned for this Friday, but Tehran has “demanded changes to the venue and format.” “The Iranians want to limit the talks to nuclear issues and not discuss things like missiles and proxy groups that are priorities for other countries in the region,” he claimed.
The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported earlier this week that intervention by Moscow and Ankara had diminished the likelihood of a US attack on Iran and made discussions possible. Russia has repeatedly said it believes the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through political and diplomatic means.
Despite his threats of new military action, Trump told reporters on Sunday that he hopes “we make a deal” with Iran. Washington withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, in 2018 and reimposed sanctions, prompting Tehran to gradually scale back compliance and enrich uranium to 60% purity.
