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Washington — U.S. forces changeable down an Iranian drone that flew towards a U.S. Navy craft bearer successful the Arabian Sea connected Tuesday, U.S. Central Command confirmed.
The subject said the Shahed-139 drone "aggressively" approached the USS Abraham Lincoln arsenic it was crossing done the Arabian Sea astir 500 miles from the confederate seashore of Iran and "unnecessarily maneuvered" toward the ship. U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said the drone continued to alert toward the bearer "despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating successful planetary waters."
The drone was changeable down by a F-35 combatant jet, and nary American work members were harmed successful the incident, Hawkins said successful a statement.
U.S. Central Command besides confirmed that hours later, forces with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps harassed a U.S.-flagged and crewed lipid tanker, Stena Imperative, that was moving done the Strait of Hormuz. Hawkins said 2 Iranian subject boats and an Iranian drone approached the vas astatine "high speeds and threatened to committee and prehend the tanker."
The USS McCaul, a guided-missile destroyer that was successful the area, responded to the country to escort the vas with aerial enactment from the U.S. Air Force, according to Hawkins.
"CENTCOM forces are operating astatine the highest levels of professionalism and ensuring the information of U.S. personnel, ships, and craft successful the Middle East," helium said. "Continued Iranian harassment and threats successful planetary waters and airspace volition not beryllium tolerated. Iran's unnecessary aggression adjacent U.S. forces, determination partners and commercialized vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and determination destabilization."
The U.S. subject has successful caller days built up its beingness adjacent Iran with what President Trump called a "massive armada." The president told reporters past period that the subject was sending ships to the Middle East "just successful case," arsenic his medication watches Iran's effect to monolithic protests that broke retired precocious past year.
Thousands of protesters are believed to person been killed successful effect to a crackdown connected demonstrations by Iranian authorities.
The president was briefed past month connected an array of subject options and covert tools that could beryllium utilized against Iran, 2 Defense Department officials told CBS News astatine the time. But U.S. allies successful the Middle East are urging the president not to onslaught Iran and are alternatively moving to broker diplomatic talks, determination officials told CBS News.
Mr. Trump told reporters past week that helium has had conversations with Iranian officials and plans to clasp much discussions.
"I told them 2 things: No. 1, nary nuclear. And No. 2, halt sidesplitting protesters," helium said. "They're going to person to bash something."
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