A U.S. F-35C fighter jet shot down the drone "in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board," Tim Hawkins, spokesman for the U.S. military command CENTCOM, said in a statement.
In a separate incident on Tuesday, two Iranian ships and a drone approached a U.S.-flagged tanker “at high speed” and the Iranian crew reportedly threatened to board the tanker. A destroyer and U.S. fighter jets then came to the tanker’s rescue and escorted it from the scene.
The U.S. has sent a large warship to the region and President Donald Trump has warned that "time is running out," and has urged Iran to meet him in negotiations.
The White House states that upcoming talks will not be canceled after the shooting.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff will meet with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul on Friday, sources said. The talks have not been officially confirmed, but White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that their schedule is currently being negotiated.
