US jet downs Iran drone but talks still on courseWASHINGTON, United States, Feb 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - A US fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier in the Middle East on Tuesday, Washington said, as renewed tensions on the high seas overshadowed plans for nuclear talks. Washington and Tehran have agreed to talks after US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened Iran with military action -- and Iran warned that it would respond with strikes on US vessels and bases. The United States bombed Iran's nuclear sites last summer, and has sent a naval battlegroup back to the region since Tehran's deadly crackdown on anti-government protests. "An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense," Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said in a statement. While Trump and Pezeshkian insisted they were dedicated to talks, US and Iranian forces were in action at sea.

Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha February 04, 2026 03:54 UTC