“The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” Centcom spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement to The Hill. He added that no U.S. service members were injured and no U.S. equipment was damaged in the incident.
The aircraft carrier and its strike group arrived in the region last week as President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Iran while leaving the door open to diplomacy. The incident came as regional efforts continued to arrange talks on Iran’s nuclear program, with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff expected to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Istanbul, after the president warned that “bad things” would happen if a deal could not be reached.
In a separate episode the same day, Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces threatened to board and seize a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel near the Strait of Hormuz, Centcom said. Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached the M/V Stena Imperative at “high speeds,” prompting the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul to escort the ship with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force.
“The situation de-escalated as a result, and the U.S.-flagged tanker is proceeding safely,” Hawkins said. “Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated,” he said, adding that “Iran’s unnecessary aggression near U.S. forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation and regional destabilization.”
