Washington shoots down Iranian drone but talks remain scheduled

A U.S. stealth aircraft shot down an Iranian drone that approached a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, but talks scheduled for later this week between the two countries remain on track, according to the White House.

Since January, when the widespread protest movement was bloodily suppressed by Iranian authorities, Washington and Tehran have alternated threats and diplomatic overtures as mediator countries work to reduce tensions.

In this tense context, two incidents occurred on Tuesday in Middle Eastern waters.

A fighter jet from the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier shot down the drone "in self-defense and to protect the carrier and the personnel on board," explained U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson Captain Tim Hawkins.

The ship was recently deployed to the Gulf by U.S. President Donald Trump, determined to ramp up pressure on Iran as the country cracked down on protests and as he seeks to secure a nuclear deal.

CENTCOM also confirmed that two armed Iranian boats and a drone approached "at high speed" a U.S.-flagged tanker, the Stena Imperative, and "threatened to board and seize it." A U.S. destroyer assisted the tanker, supported by the Air Force, and escorted it out of danger, according to the same source.

The Iranian news agency Fars had previously reported that a vessel had "illegally" entered the Strait of Hormuz and "Iranian territorial waters," was "warned," and "immediately left the area."

Tehran has recently threatened to block the strait, a key route for the global transport of oil and liquefied natural gas, if the U.S. launches an attack.

'Very intense' efforts

Despite these incidents, "talks remain scheduled for now," White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said, as in recent days both countries have seemed willing to give diplomacy a chance.

Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian announced Tuesday he has tasked his foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, with direct negotiations with the United States, while rejecting all "unreasonable demands."

An Arab source close to the issue told AFP that these talks would "likely" take place on Friday in Turkey. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, however, emphasized that although talks are indeed planned "in the coming days," the exact date and location were still "under consultation."

"Both Turkey and Oman and other countries in the region have expressed willingness to host the talks," noted the Ministry, as reported by Iranian news agency Tasnim. If the dialogue succeeds, "great." If not, "bad things would probably happen," warned Trump.

Araghchi held a series of consultations on Tuesday with his counterparts in the region, speaking in succession with officials from Qatar, Turkey, Oman, and Kuwait.

Diplomatic efforts are "continuing very intensely," Qatar affirmed.

As for U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, he met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who warned him that Iran has "repeatedly proven it cannot be trusted to keep its promises."

Nuclear

Tensions between Washington and Tehran escalated after the Iranian protest movement, triggered by demonstrations over the cost of living.

The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA) has recorded more than 50,000 arrests and confirmed 6,872 deaths, the vast majority among protesters.

But the death toll could be much higher, with more than 17,000 cases still under review. On Tuesday, Paris maintained that U.S.-Iran talks should aim to end Tehran's "repression" before "addressing nuclear, missile, and terrorist support issues."

Western countries accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, which Tehran denies. Negotiations with the United States took place in the spring of 2025, before the 12-day war triggered by Israel in June, but notably stalled over the issue of uranium enrichment.

Araghchi told CNN on Sunday that an agreement was "possible," but said he expects sanctions against his country to be lifted; he has ruled out negotiating on Iran's defense and ballistic capabilities.