U.S. Downs Iranian Drone Near Aircraft Carrier as Netanyahu Warns Tehran Can’t Be Trusted

The United States shot down an Iranian drone flying towards the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier in the Arabian Sea as President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem to discuss his meeting on Friday with Iran’s foreign minister. U.S. Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said on Tuesday evening that a F-35C fighter jet shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone which “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and despite “deescalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters.”A few hours later, two Iranian military boats and a drone harassed a U.S.-flagged and crewed oil tanker, Stena Imperative, in the Strait of Hormuz.The boats approached Stena Imperative “at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” after which the USS McFaul came to its rescue “with defensive air support from the US Air Force.”“The situation de-escalated as a result, and the U.S.-flagged tanker is proceeding safely,” Captain Hawkins said. “CENTCOM forces are operating at the highest levels of professionalism and ensuring the safety of U.S. personnel, ships, and aircraft in the Middle East. Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated. Iran’s unnecessary aggression near U.S. forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilization,” he added. The two incidents took place at the same time as Mr. Witkoff met with Mr. Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Mr. Netanyahu’s office said he “clarified his position” to Mr. Witkoff “that Iran has proven time and again that its promises cannot be relied upon.”A source familiar with the issue told The New York Sun that Mossad Chief David Barnes, IDF Chief Eyal Zamir and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz were present in the meeting with Mr. Witkoff. “The estimate among them is that the U.S. will end up attacking Iran because Tehran will not agree to a comprehensive deal. For Israel it’s crucial that their ballistic missile program is also dismantled,” the source added. Axios, meanwhile, reported that Iran is trying to move the location of Friday’s meeting between its foreign minister and Mr. Witkoff from Istanbul to Oman. Tehran is also seeking to limit the meeting to Iranian and US officials instead of including several Arab nations, the report added. This would prevent the talks from including Iran’s missile program and its support for terror groups in the region which are a concern for the countries involved. UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were expected to attend the meeting in Istanbul.White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday that Mr. Trump “is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango. As always, though, of course, the president has a range of options on the table with respect to Iran.”Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said that the location and timing of the talks are “not complex issues and should not serve as a pretext for media games,” according to the Islamic Republic’s News Agency. As Iran continued to hold marathon talks with Turkey, Qatar and Oman to reduce tensions in the region, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem issued a stark warning to Israel and America.“Iran is the crown jewel of the world. It will endure and can defeat the United States and Israel in the confrontation currently underway, because anyone who stands with Almighty God is bound to be victorious,” he said.Hezbollah however stayed out of the last round of war between Iran, Israel and America in June last year and has so far refrained from attacking Israel despite daily IDF attacks against its commanders and military positions across Lebanon.

U.S. Downs Iranian Drone Near Aircraft Carrier as Netanyahu Warns Tehran Can’t Be Trusted

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