Tensions between the United States and Iran flared sharply in the Arabian Sea after a U.S. Navy F-35C fighter jet shot down an Iranian Shahed drone that allegedly flew dangerously close to the USS Abraham Lincoln. The incident, confirmed by U.S. Central Command, unfolded just as Washington and Tehran prepare for high-stakes nuclear negotiations, raising fears that military brinkmanship could derail already fragile talks. While Iran’s IRGC claimed the drone was on a “routine and lawful” mission, President Donald Trump warned Tehran against provoking U.S. forces even as he maintained that negotiations remain underway.