An Iranian drone flew toward a US aircraft carrier, then everything escalated fast

The U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone this week after it flew toward the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, prompting what officials described as a necessary act of self-defense. The incident was first reported by Reuters.

According to the report, the Iranian Shahed-139 drone approached the carrier with unclear intent and was intercepted by an F-35C fighter jet. Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, said the action was taken to protect the aircraft carrier and the personnel aboard.

No American service members were injured, and no U.S. equipment was damaged during the encounter. The USS Abraham Lincoln is a Nimitz-class, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and represents one of the most significant U.S. military assets in the region.

The confrontation did not end with the shootdown

Hours later, a separate incident unfolded in the Strait of Hormuz involving Iranian boats and another drone. Reuters reported that Iranian vessels and a Mohajer drone targeted the U.S.-flagged merchant ship M/V Stena Imperative as it transited the strategic waterway, mirroring broader geopolitical unrest seen in recent reporting on changing policies around ICE agents.

Captain Hawkins said two boats from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps approached the U.S.-crewed tanker at high speeds and threatened to seize and board the vessel. A maritime risk management group said the tanker was ordered to stop its engine, but instead increased speed and continued its voyage.

The situation eased after the U.S. Navy warship McFaul moved in to escort the tanker. Hawkins said the presence of the U.S. warship led to de-escalation, and the Stena Imperative continued safely, even as Trump’s Kennedy Center renovations will cost $200 million, dominating news cycles with stateside debates over federal spending.

The incidents occurred amid heightened tensions as diplomats attempt to arrange nuclear talks between the United States and Iran. The Abraham Lincoln strike group is a central element of a recent U.S. military buildup in the Middle East following a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran last month.

Iran’s U.N. mission declined to comment on the drone shootdown, while Iranian state media said contact was lost with a drone operating in international waters for unknown reasons. Following the report, oil futures prices rose by more than $1 per barrel.