US Military Downs Iranian Drone Near Aircraft Carrier in Arabian Sea Amid Rising Tensions

Washington: The tension between America and Iran in the Middle East has come to the surface again. Yesterday on Tuesday, the US Navy shot down an Iranian drone, which came too close to their aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln – in the Arabian Sea. All this happened when efforts for dialogue were going on from both sides, but the situation in the sea is still very delicate. 

Why did drones appear to be such a threat?

American officials say that this Shahed-139 drone was moving rapidly towards the ship, and that too in an "aggressive" manner – meaning the intention was not clear, but the threat was clearly visible. Warnings were given several times, attempts were made for de-escalation, but he did not stop or turn. In such a situation, for safety, the F-35C fighter jet dropped it in the air. The good thing is that no American soldier was injured and the ship was also not damaged.

What did the US military say?

Central Command spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins clearly said – it was completely self-defense. There can be no compromise on the safety of the ship and crew. He said the drone was coming with "unclear intent" and did not stop despite attempts to de-escalate.

What reaction came from Iran?

Iran has not yet made any major official statement (as far as is known), but generally they attribute such incidents to American aggression. From the earlier pattern, it seems that they can avoid it by calling it a routine mission or surveillance, and blame America.

Will negotiations be affected?

This incident has happened at a time when the Trump Administration is again trying to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran. They have also warned earlier that if the deal is not done, then military option is also open. There are also some indications from Iran that preparations are being made for negotiations. But such conflicts can undo all the hard work of building trust – it is not easy to build trust in such circumstances.

Did something happen in the Strait of Hormuz also?

More tension in the Strait of Hormuz after a few hours. According to US officials, some small boats of the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) came very close to an American-flagged tanker and tried to stop or harass it. Seems like it was a way to create pressure.

Overall, on one hand there is hope for diplomacy, on the other hand there is fear of confrontation every moment. This area of ​​the Gulf right now looks like a pile of gunpowder – just one spark is needed. Everyone's eyes are fixed on every move. Let's see what happens now, but right now caution is very important.