TimesScope

US Shoots Down Iranian Drone, But Trump Says Talks With Iran Are Still Happening🚨

The United States shot down an Iranian drone near the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, even as President Donald Trump confirmed that talks with Iran are continuing in an effort to ease tensions in the Gulf. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Washington and Tehran were negotiating “right now,” though he declined to say where the discussions were taking place. “They are negotiating. They’d like to do something, and we’ll see if something is going to be done,” Trump said. He also warned Iran by referring to last year’s US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, adding, “We did ‘Midnight Hammer’. I don’t think they want that happening again.”

Trump’s remarks came after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he had instructed his foreign minister to pursue “fair and equitable negotiations, guided by the principles of dignity, prudence, and expediency,” as long as a “suitable environment exists.” He stressed that any talks must be conducted “within the framework of our national interests.” The diplomatic signals emerged amid heightened military tensions following the drone incident.

US Central Command said a US fighter jet shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone after it “aggressively approached” the USS Abraham Lincoln with “unclear intent,” despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces in international waters. Iran did not immediately comment, but the Tasnim news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying communication was lost with a drone that had already sent data back to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that an investigation was under way.

CENTCOM also accused Iran’s Revolutionary Guard of harassing a US-flagged, US-crewed merchant vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, claiming Iranian boats and a drone threatened to board and seize the ship. Iranian officials, quoted by Fars news agency, rejected the accusation, saying the vessel had entered Iranian territorial waters without proper permits and left after being warned, “without any special security event taking place.”

Despite the incidents, plans for talks appear unchanged. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, “is set to have conversations with the Iranians later this week,” adding that the talks are still scheduled. Iran has said consultations are ongoing to determine a venue, with Oman, Türkiye and other regional countries offering to host. Analysts, however, remain skeptical about the outcome, warning that neither Washington nor Tehran has shown signs of easing their core demands, raising doubts over whether diplomacy can prevent further escalation.