The US Navy has taken down an Iranian drone approaching its aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. An American official told Reuters that the drone was moving towards the US warship, seen as a threat. This incident emerged just as nuclear deal talks between the US and Iran were set to begin in Turkey this week.
Reports identified it as Iran's Shahed-139 drone, which was targeted by a US F-35 fighter jet, bringing it down mid-air. This event adds to the rising tensions between the US and Iran, although there hasn't been an immediate response from Iran.
The Wall Street Journal reported that on Tuesday, armed Iranian boats attempted to intercept a US-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. An Iranian news agency, supported by opposition, relayed that American officials claimed pressure was applied once the tanker entered this strategic waterway.
According to marine security agency Vanguard Tech, six Iranian gunboats equipped with 50-caliber machine guns approached the tanker, ordering it to shut off its engines and prepare for boarding.
The tanker, however, accelerated and was later safeguarded by a US warship. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency had earlier confirmed an incident involving a ship in the inbound traffic zone of the Strait of Hormuz, approximately 16 nautical miles north of Oman.
The US has ramped up its military presence around Iran over the past month. The Washington Post reported that the US has stationed dozens of aircraft at bases near Iran and deployed nearly a dozen warships in or near the Middle East. Using reports from American defense officials, satellite images, and tracking data, it is suggested that these steps could lay the groundwork for a potential US strike on Iran in the coming weeks.
Current and former US officials are reported as saying that, while not as extensive as preparations before last year's strikes on Iran's nuclear program, this military readiness still provides President Donald Trump with solid military options.
The American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln entered the operational area of US Central Command on January 26, accompanied by three guided missile destroyers, and is currently stationed in the northern Arabian Sea. At least eight other American warships are also present in the region, including destroyers stationed near the Strait of Hormuz, as confirmed by US defense officials and satellite imagery.
