Iranian media is claiming that the drone shot down by the U.S. military over the Arabian Sea was conducting surveillance as part of a “routine and lawful mission over international waters.”
The Tasnim News Agency, which is affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), reported a source as saying that the drone successfully transmitted reconnaissance photos to its command center before suffering a loss of communication.
The source added that the drone was carrying out a “routine and lawful mission over international waters,” engaging in surveillance and imaging duties.
A U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman previously told [media] that the U.S. military had shot down the unmanned Iranian drone Tuesday after it “aggressively approached a [ship] with unclear intent.”
Capt. Tim Hawkins added, “The [ship] was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed – 139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship.”
CENTCOM also said, “The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de – escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters. An F – 35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self – defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board.”
Hawkins said no U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged during the incident.
USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Middle East after President Donald Trump said last week that, “A massive Armada is heading to Iran.”
Hawkins also told [media] on Tuesday that, “During a separate incident hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, IRGC forces harassed a U.S. – flagged, U.S. – crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage.”