A United States F-35 fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone approaching the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier deployed in the Arabian Sea, according to a Reuters report cited by the source. A US official said the drone was identified as an Iranian Shahed-139 model and was heading toward the carrier when it was targeted and destroyed.

The incident occurred amid ongoing tensions over increased US military presence near Iran’s coast. It also comes ahead of scheduled talks between Iran and the United States in Istanbul, Turkey, on Friday regarding a nuclear agreement. The downing of the drone has drawn renewed attention to the already strained regional situation.

The report suggests that the timing of the drone incident, just days before the planned diplomatic discussions, may influence the tone and focus of those talks, though no official reactions were mentioned in the source.