The US military shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" in the Arabian Sea, Reuters reports, citing an unnamed American official.
According to the British agency, the Iranian Shahed-139 was flying in the direction of the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" and was shot down by an American F-35 fighter.
In January 2026, the US began moving an aircraft carrier strike group from the South China Sea to the area of responsibility of the Central Command in the Middle East. This happened against the backdrop of increasing tensions between the administration of US President Donald Trump and official Tehran.
At the end of January, The Economist reported that the US had deployed Patriot air defense systems, THAAD missile defense systems and the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" to the Middle East. The publication indicated that the US was considering the possibility of striking Iran.