U.S. Military Shoots Down Iranian Drone Near USS Abraham Lincoln in Arabian Sea

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Clint Davis, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The U.S. military on Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone after it flew toward the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East, as President Donald Trump weighs potential military action against Iran.

CENTCOM spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said the unmanned Shahed-139 drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent.” At the time, the USS Abraham Lincoln was operating in international waters approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast.

Live map

According to Hawkins, U.S. forces took de-escalatory measures after the drone “unnecessarily maneuvered” toward the carrier. Despite those efforts, the aircraft continued its approach. An F-35 fighter jet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln subsequently shot down the drone “in self-defense to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board.”

No U.S. personnel were injured, and no U.S. equipment was damaged in the incident.

Following the shootdown, U.S. crude oil prices rose more than 1% by early afternoon, reflecting market sensitivity to escalating regional tensions and potential disruptions to maritime security.

Hours later, Iranian forces reportedly harassed a U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed merchant vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to CENTCOM, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces threatened to board and seize the M/V Stena Imperative. A U.S. guided missile destroyer intervened, de-escalated the situation, and ensured the vessel was able to proceed safely.

President Trump has deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln to the Middle East as part of a broader pressure campaign against Iran, warning of possible strikes if Tehran does not engage in negotiations over its nuclear program. While Trump previously threatened military action during large-scale demonstrations against the Iranian regime last month, he ultimately refrained from ordering strikes.

The incidents occurred just days before Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is scheduled to hold discussions with Iranian officials. Those talks remain on the calendar, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed.

“As for the president, he remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first,” Leavitt said in an interview with Fox News. “But for diplomacy to work, of course, it takes two to tango. You need a willing partner to engage.”

Leavitt added that the president “always has a range of options on the table and that includes the use of military force.”