A US fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier in the Middle East on Tuesday, Washington said, as renewed tensions on the high seas overshadowed plans for nuclear talks.White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that US envoy Steve Witkoff is still expected “to have conversations with the Iranians late this week,” despite the incident.
The downing of the drone was the second clash between the foes in Middle Eastern waters on the same day, after Iranian forces attempted to detain a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.Washington and Tehran have agreed to talks after US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened Iran with military action — and Iran warned that it would respond with strikes on US vessels and bases.
The United States bombed Iran’s nuclear sites last summer, and has sent a naval battlegroup back to the region since Tehran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.Negotiations are now set for Friday, but Trump has refused to rule out military action and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian insists talks will only go ahead provided they were free of threats.
An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense,” Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said in a statement.The aircraft carrier was dispatched to the Arabian Sea last month amid a buildup of US forces.’Bad things’Trump had told Iranians that “help is on its way” during anti-government protests in Iran that were met with a deadly crackdown last month.Pezeshkian confirmed on Tuesday that he had ordered the start of talks with the United States, provided they were free of threats, after Trump suggested “bad things” would happen without a deal
Iran has not confirmed where the talks will take place but said Turkey, Oman and “some other countries in the region” had expressed willingness to host them, adding that the venue and timing were “not a complicated issue.”Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Witkoff in Jerusalem on Tuesday that Iran “cannot be trusted,” according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.
The US opposes Iran’s nuclear program, which it maintains is a precursor to acquiring nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists it is for civilian research purposes.Washington also wants to curtail Iran’s support for proxy forces in the region and cut its vast arsenal of ballistic missiles.
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