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Exclusive-US shoots down Iranian drone approaching aircraft carrier, official says

AL-MONITOR
Feb 3, 2026
The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is shown at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, U.S. August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake
The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is shown at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, U.S. August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake — Mike Blake

Feb 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. military shot down on Tuesday an Iranian drone that approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, a U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Iranian Shahed-139 drone was flying towards the carrier and was shot down by a F-35 U.S. fighter jet.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )

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