White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that diplomatic talks with Iran remain on schedule despite a U.S. military shooting down an Iranian drone earlier in the day in the Arabian Sea.
A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down the unmanned aircraft after it approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, U.S. Central Command confirmed.
The incident came amid rising tensions in the region, including Iranian harassment of U.S.-linked commercial shipping.
Leavitt said the military acted appropriately to protect U.S. forces.
"I did speak with folks at the Pentagon this morning who said CENTCOM acted both appropriately and necessarily to protect our U.S. personnel and equipment in the region," Leavitt said, CNN reported.
She emphasized that the Trump administration remains focused on diplomacy, even as it keeps other options available.
"As for the president, he remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first," Leavitt said. "But in order for diplomacy to work of course it takes two to tango, you need a willing partner to engage."
Leavitt confirmed that special envoy Steve Witkoff is still expected to engage Iranian officials later this week.
"And so that's something the president and special envoy Witkoff are exploring and discussing right now," she said. "Special envoy Witkoff is set to have conversations with the Iranians later this week.
"Those are still scheduled as of right now, but of course the president has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force."
According to Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins, the drone "aggressively approached" the carrier with "unclear intent" and continued flying toward the ship "despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters."
The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet launched from the Lincoln, which was sailing about 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast.
The military said no U.S. personnel were injured and no equipment was damaged.
The confrontation came just hours after Iran’s president said he instructed the country’s foreign minister to "pursue fair and equitable negotiations" with the U.S., signaling renewed interest in talks despite last summer’s breakdown.
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