Lightning strikes: F-35 shoots down Iranian Shahed drone as it heads toward US carrier
An Iranian Shahed-139 drone that was approaching USS Abraham Lincoln – the carrier leading "Trump's armada" – has been shot down by one of the ship's F-35 Lightning jets.
US Central Command said the drone had "aggressively" approached the US Navy warship "with unclear intent" in the Arabian Sea.
"An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defence and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board," said Centcom spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins.
No comment from Tehran
No American service members were harmed during the incident, and no US equipment was damaged, he added.
Tehran's mission at the United Nations declined to comment on the incident, while Iran's Tasnim news agency said connection had been lost with a drone in international waters, but the reason was unknown.
The Shahed-139 is a member of the wider Shahed family of Iranian drones.
While the Shahed-136 is the country's most well-known loitering munition, the 139's role is believed to focus on intelligence-gathering.
The incident happened as diplomatic efforts are underway to arrange talks between Iran and the United States about Tehran's nuclear ambitions and the recent rise in hostile incidents.
Along with diplomacy, the US looks set to use force if necessary, with the US Navy sending what President Trump called an "armada" to the region.
The US leader warned Tehran that "bad things" would probably happen if a deal could not be reached.
US responds to unrest in Iran
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group is the most visible part of current US military build-up in the Middle East.
This follows Tehran's violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last month, the deadliest domestic unrest in Iran since the 1979 revolution.
President Donald Trump stopped short of threatening to intervene during the crackdown, but did demand Tehran make nuclear concessions.
He said last week Iran was "seriously talking," while senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani said arrangements for negotiations were underway.
Tanker harassed by IRGC boats
In a separate incident in the Strait of Hormuz, just hours after the drone was shot down, Centcom said Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces had been harassing a US-flagged and US-crewed merchant vessel.
"Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached MV Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker," Capt Hawkins said.
The Iranian boats ordered the tanker to stop its engine and prepare to be boarded, but the tanker sped up and continued its voyage, escorted by the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS McFaul.
"The situation de-escalated as a result, and the US-flagged tanker is proceeding safely," Capt Hawkins added.
Not just the US Navy
UK military assets are also in the region.
In a break from its usual secrecy, the Ministry of Defence said a Royal Navy Astute-class submarine had left Gibraltar, ostensibly on her way to Australia as part of the Aukus agreement.
And four RAF Typhoons were sent to Qatar in a defensive capacity.
Al-Udeid airbase in the Gulf state was attacked by Iranian ballistic missiles in June 2025 in a symbolic response to the B-2 Stealth bomber attack on its nuclear facilities.
RAF Typhoons were previously used in April 2024 to shoot down Iranian Shahed drones heading towards Israel.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
