TEHRAN, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- A drone belonging to Iran's armed forces completed a "surveillance mission" in international waters Tuesday, Iranian media reported, shortly after the U.S. military said it had shot down an Iranian aircraft that "aggressively approached" an aircraft carrier.
Citing unnamed sources, the Fars news agency reported that the drone "successfully" monitored military movements in areas adjacent to Iran and transmitted data to ground bases in real time. The report described such missions as vital for the "overall monitoring" of the region.
Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted an informed source as saying that Iran lost connection to one of its drones, the cause of which is under investigation and will be announced after it is determined.
The U.S. Central Command said earlier in the day that a U.S. F-35C warplane "was forced" to shoot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone in the Arabian Sea. The command stated that the drone had "unnecessarily maneuvered" toward the USS Abraham Lincoln while the carrier was transiting international waters approximately 800 km from the Iranian coast.
According to the U.S. statement, the drone was shot down in "an act of self-defense." No U.S. troops were injured, and no equipment was damaged in the encounter, the military said.
The encounter comes amid a significant buildup of American forces in the region. The Trump administration deployed an aircraft carrier strike group and several warships to the Middle East in late January, as the U.S. president continues to issue warnings to Tehran. ■
