# F‑35

F‑35 Downs Iranian Drone as IRGC Fast Boats Harass U.S.‑Flagged Tanker — Diplomacy on a Knife‑Edge

A U.S. F‑35C shot down an Iranian drone near the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, and IRGC fast boats later harassed a U.S.‑flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. The incidents occurred as fragile talks between Washington and Tehran were being arranged, highlighting the risks that operational friction could derail diplomacy and raise the chance of miscalculation in regional waters.