Overview
- CENTCOM said an F-35C from the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 that approached in the Arabian Sea with unclear intent about 500 miles off Iran’s coast.
- No U.S. personnel were injured and no equipment was damaged, according to Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins.
- Hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, the destroyer USS McFaul escorted the U.S.-flagged M/V Stena Imperative after two IRGC boats and a Mohajer drone threatened to board the tanker.
- Iran-linked Tasnim said the drone had transmitted reconnaissance imagery before losing contact, offering a narrative that diverges from CENTCOM’s account.
- The White House confirmed the shootdown and said talks with Iran remain scheduled this week, as oil prices rose more than $1 a barrel following the reports.