“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defence,” 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. A US-flagged tanker was challenged on Tuesday by Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said. Spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said two Iranian boats and a drone approached the M/V Stena Imperative “and threatened to board and seize the tanker”. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based NGO, says it has confirmed 6854 deaths, mostly protesters killed by security forces, with other rights groups warning the figure is far higher.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 03, 2026 23:51 UTC