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.”
Breaking:
— Hesam Qaydi (@HesamQaydi) February 3, 2026
US Navy shoots down Iranian drone over Arabian Sea
A US military aircraft shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, according to a US official speaking to Reuters. The incident marks the latest close encounter between… pic.twitter.com/C8XCKsRgmy
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.”
🚨 BREAKING: US fighter jet shoots down unmanned Iranian drone that was approaching USS Abraham Lincoln in Arabian Sea, US Central Command spokesman says pic.twitter.com/QexBiKY1qm
— Fox News (@FoxNews) February 3, 2026
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.
Officials tell Reuters that the Iranian drone shot down earlier today over the Arabian Sea was an Shahed-139 Surveillance Drone, which was downed by an F-35C Lightning ll with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) after approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). https://t.co/H65aUf9CWx pic.twitter.com/Iuig4hoIwm
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 3, 2026
The current conflict between the U.S. and Iran centers on the regime’s treatment of protesters who have been demonstrating in the streets since late December.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military intervention against the regime if it refused to stop killing protesters.
Casualty estimates range from 3,000 to 20,000 people killed by the Iranian government.
The protests began when tens of thousands of Iranians took to the streets to protest against the regime’s economic failures, which resulted in a severely devalued currency. But the effort quickly transformed into a campaign to oust the radical Islamic regime that has controlled the nation since 1979.
The government responded with brutal force, killing, torturing, and arresting those involved in the demonstrations.