The USS Abraham Lincoln, seen here conducting exercises in the Arabian Sea in June 2019, was approached by an Iranian drone with unclear intent, U.S. Central Command said. (Brian M. Wilbur/U.S. Navy)

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an aircraft carrier transiting in the Arabian Sea Tuesday, U.S. Central Command said.

The USS Abraham Lincoln was about 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone “unnecessarily maneuvered” toward the ship, CENTCOM said in a statement.

“The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite deescalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” CENTCOM said. “An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board. No American service members were harmed during the incident, and no U.S. equipment was damaged.”

Hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, forces with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage, the statement said. Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker.

“Guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul was operating in the area and immediately responded to the scene to escort M/V Stena Imperative with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force,” CENTCOM added. “The situation deescalated as a result, and the U.S.-flagged tanker is proceeding safely.”

The Pentagon has sent a host of U.S. military assets into the Middle East over the past several weeks as President Donald Trump indicates he is maintaining the possibility of strikes on Iran.

The Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers are in the Arabian Sea, according to CENTCOM.

The carrier strike group left the South China Sea last week and arrived in the Middle East on Monday. It joined three other U.S. Navy destroyers, two of which are currently sailing near the Strait of Hormuz and another in the Red Sea.

Three smaller littoral combat ships also are currently at sea in the Persian Gulf.

The arrival of the carrier strike group brought roughly 5,700 additional service members. The U.S. has several bases in the Middle East, including Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which hosts thousands of American troops and is the forward headquarters for U.S. Central Command.

Talks between special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials are still planned, White House and Iranian officials said.

Trump told reporters that “we are negotiating with them right now.” He also noted the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June and said, ”I don’t think they want that happening again.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.