The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (Illustrative photo: Mass Communication Specialist 2n / EPA)

On February 3, the U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone en route to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea. This was reported by the United States Armed Forces, Reuters reports.

The US side points out that the Iranian Shahed-139 drone "aggressively" approached the ship, moved toward it "with unclear intent" and was shot down by a US F-35 fighter jet.

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An F-35C fighter jet (a modification adapted for takeoff and landing from aircraft carriers – Ed.) from the USS Abraham Lincoln hit the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the ship and personnel on board, said US Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the US Central Command. This command, in particular, operates in the Middle East.

The military official added that no U.S. military personnel were injured in the incident and no equipment was damaged.

The Central Command also reported that another incident occurred that day: a few hours later, in the Strait of Hormuz (the entrance to the Persian Gulf – Ed.), Iranian forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were chasing a merchant ship flying the US flag with an American crew.

"Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker," Hawkins said.

  • Axios' interlocutors reported that the talks between the United States, Iran and a number of Arab and Muslim countries are scheduled for February 6 in Istanbul. However, the media later stated that Tehran wanted to change the place and format of negotiations.
  • Earlier, against the backdrop of the US military buildup in the Middle East, Trump threatened to strike Iran if the nuclear deal will not be achieved. Instead, the leader of the Iranian regime, Khamenei, threatened regional war, if the US launches strikes against the Islamic Republic.
  • Deputy director of the Center for Middle East Studies Danylov said LIGA.net that Iran cannot meet the demands of the United States in the negotiations, and a possible American strike on the Islamic Republic will be positive for Ukraine.