US Fighter Jet Shoots Down Iranian Drone Headed for Aircraft Carrier

The U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone on Tuesday as tensions between the United States and Iran have intensified.

In late January, the Trump administration ordered the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and a strike force into the Persian Gulf. The move raised speculation that the U.S. could carry out airstrikes against the Iranian regime.

Reuters reported that the drone “was flying towards the carrier and was shot down by a F-35 U.S. fighter jet.”

A U.S. Central Command spokesman told Fox News that the drone “aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent.”

He further explained that the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln was operating in the Arabian Sea, approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast, when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship.”

This is the first military clash Washington has had with Tehran since the White House ordered airstrikes on the regime’s nuclear sites last year.

The Shahed-139 is an Iranian long-range surveillance and attack drone that can fly long distances while carrying various weapons, including precision-guided missiles and bombs. It is also used for reconnaissance missions and to attack targets on land and at sea.