US military shoots down Iranian drone near aircraft carrier in Arabian Sea

The US military shot down an Iranian drone that aggressively approached the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday. The incident occurred amidst diplomatic efforts to arrange nuclear talks and heightened regional tensions.

According to a statement from the US military's Central Command, the Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying "with unclear intent" towards the carrier when it was destroyed by an F-35C fighter jet in an act of self-defence. The US Navy spokesperson confirmed no American personnel or equipment were harmed.

News of the incident caused oil prices to rise by more than one dollar per barrel. Iran's Tasnim news agency reported the loss of contact with a drone in international waters but did not confirm the cause.

The USS Lincoln carrier group is a key part of a recent US military build-up in the Middle East. The escalation follows last month's violent crackdown on anti-government protests in Iran, the deadliest unrest since the 1979 revolution.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, US military officials reported that forces from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) harassed a US-flagged merchant vessel, the Stena Imperative, in the Strait of Hormuz. Two IRGC boats and a drone allegedly ordered the tanker to stop and prepare to be boarded. The vessel instead increased speed and continued its journey under the escort of the US Navy destroyer USS McFaul, leading to a de-escalation.