11:42 pm - February 4, 2026
A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, according to U.S. Central Command. The incident occurred as the Iranian drone aggressively approached the carrier with unclear intent despite de-escalatory measures taken by American forces operating in international waters. The shootdown threatens to escalate tensions between the United States and Iran as the Trump administration pursues negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program.
The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln, which was sailing approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast, Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement. Within hours of the drone incident, Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces also harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant vessel sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the American military reported.
Iranian Drone Incident Follows Merchant Vessel Harassment
After the shootdown of the Iranian drone, Revolutionary Guard forces approached the merchant vessel Stena Imperative with two boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone at high speeds, threatening to board and seize the tanker, according to Hawkins. The destroyer USS McFaul responded and escorted the vessel with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force. No American troops were harmed and no U.S. equipment was damaged in either incident, the military’s statement noted.
Iranian state media reported that Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard is investigating the interruption of the drone. The semi-official Tasnim news agency posted on its Telegram that before the footage cut out, the drone successfully transferred the images it captured back to Iran.
The developments come as President Donald Trump has threatened military action to address Iran’s crackdown on nationwide protests and to pressure Tehran into negotiations over its nuclear program. Trump told reporters that “we are negotiating with them right now” and referenced U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June, saying he doesn’t think Iran wants that happening again.
Diplomatic Talks Still Planned Despite Rising Tensions
Despite the military confrontations, talks between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials are still planned, according to White House and Iranian officials. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that he instructed the country’s foreign minister to pursue fair and equitable negotiations with the U.S., marking one of the first clear signs from Tehran that it wants to negotiate with Washington.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told state TV that the talks were still expected in the next few days but that details, including location, were still being discussed. Turkey and Oman, among other regional countries, have offered to host the talks, according to Tasnim news agency. A Turkish official later said the location of talks was uncertain but that Turkey was ready to support the process.
Additionally, the Trump administration has built up military forces in the region over recent weeks, sending the aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers, air defense assets and additional personnel to supplement its presence. The carrier strike group brought roughly 5,700 additional service members, joining three destroyers and three littoral combat ships already deployed in the area.
U.S. Military Presence Grows in Middle East
Analysts of flight-tracking data have noticed dozens of U.S. military cargo planes heading to the region in recent weeks. The military buildup is similar to last year when the U.S. moved in air defense hardware, including a Patriot missile system, in anticipation of Iranian retaliation following U.S. bombing of three key nuclear sites. Iran launched more than a dozen missiles at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar days after those strikes.
Meanwhile, tensions began rising again between the U.S. and Iran as the Islamic Republic spent weeks quelling protests that began in late December against growing economic instability before broadening into a challenge to the country’s ruling theocracy. Trump had promised in early January to rescue Iranians from their government’s protest crackdown before shifting focus to pressure Tehran on its nuclear program.
The details and timing of negotiations between U.S. and Iranian officials remain uncertain as both countries navigate the diplomatic fallout from the latest military incidents. Officials have not confirmed whether the drone shootdown or merchant vessel harassment will impact the planned talks scheduled for later this week.
