Washington DC [US], February 4: A US aircraft carrier shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday after the unmanned aerial vehicle made what the US military described as an "aggressive approach" toward the vessel, CNN reported, citing a US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson.
According to CNN, citing Captain Tim Hawkins, spokesperson for US CENTCOM, the incident involved the USS Abraham Lincoln, which was transiting international waters approximately 500 miles from Iran's southern coast.
"The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters," Hawkins said, as quoted by CNN, adding that an F-35C fighter jet launched from the aircraft carrier destroyed the drone to ensure the safety of the ship and its personnel.
"No American service members were harmed during the incident, and no US equipment was damaged," Hawkins stated, as quoted by CNN.
Hours after the drone incident, two Iranian gunboats operated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) approached the US-flagged chemical tanker M/V Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz, Hawkins said.
The gunboats reportedly passed the vessel at high speed on three occasions while an Iranian Mohajer drone flew overhead, he added, as reported by CNN.
During one of the passes, the Iranian vessels threatened via radio communication to board and seize the tanker, which was operating in international waters, the spokesperson said.
US military forces in the region responded by deploying the USS McFaul, which escorted the tanker away from the area, with US Air Force defensive air support.
The situation subsequently de-escalated, Hawkins said, according to CNN.
Describing the incidents as examples of Iran's "unprofessional and aggressive behaviour", the spokesperson said that such actions increase the risk of miscalculation for vessels operating in the region and warned that harassment in international waters would not be tolerated by the US.
According to CNN, the incidents occurred days before scheduled diplomatic talks between US and Iranian officials aimed at preventing a military escalation.
However, according to sources familiar with the matter at CNN, the negotiations encountered difficulties earlier in the day after Iran sought changes to the venue, participation, and scope of the discussions, requesting that they focus solely on Tehran's nuclear programme.
Meanwhile, the US has stepped up its military presence in the Middle East over the past week, deploying the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, along with three guided-missile destroyers and its carrier air wing, which includes F/A-18E Super Hornet, F-35C Lightning II, and EA-18G Growler aircraft.
In addition, three US Navy destroyers -- USS McFaul, USS Delbert D. Black, and USS Mitscher -- are operating in the region independently of the carrier strike group, CNN reported.
Source: Times of Oman
