US armed forces shot down an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle that was approaching the aircraft carrier Lincoln, Reuters reports.

The incident took place in the Arabian Sea and comes during a period of increased tension, with strong US forces concentrating in the area and the White House not completely ruling out military intervention.

A US official said that an American F-35C fighter jet shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone that was “approaching aggressively” toward the aircraft carrier.

The Shahed-139 is a so-called “suicide drone,” carrying explosives and designed to crash into its target. Iran has granted Russia a license to manufacture Shahed drones, which Moscow has used in large numbers in Ukraine.

The shootdown occurred about 500 miles off the coast of Iran and did not endanger the aircraft carrier or its crew.

It was also reported today that Iranian warships approached a US oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and ordered it to stop. This incident occurred later than the drone encounter.

The Wall Street Journal reported that six Iranian light warships armed with 50-millimeter guns approached the tanker as it entered the strategically important sea lane. The Iranian vessels ordered it to shut down its engines and prepare for boarding.

However, the US-flagged ship accelerated and was later escorted to safety by a US warship.

The incident was also referenced by the UK Maritime Trade Operations service, which is linked to the British Royal Navy. It reported that a number of small armed boats attempted to stop a vessel, which ignored the request and continued on its course, without identifying the attackers.

What CENTCOM says

CENTCOM, the US military command responsible for the Middle East, said the incident occurred today.

The Iranian drone was approaching the aircraft carrier aggressively with unclear intent. The USS Abraham Lincoln was operating in the Arabian Sea about 500 miles (800 kilometers) from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone made “unnecessary maneuvers” toward the ship. The drone continued flying toward the vessel despite de-escalation measures taken by US forces operating in international waters.

An F-35C fighter aircraft from the carrier shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and its personnel. No US service members were injured during the incident, and no US equipment was damaged.

During a separate incident a few hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM added, forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) harassed a US-flagged commercial vessel with an American crew that was lawfully transiting the international waterway. Two IRGC vessels and an Iranian Mohajer-type drone approached the M/V Stena Imperative at high speed and threatened to board and seize the tanker.

The USS McFaul (DDG-74), operating in the area, responded immediately and escorted the Stena Imperative with defensive air support from the US Air Force. As a result, the situation was de-escalated and the US-flagged tanker continues its voyage safely.