File photo of an Iranian Shahed-129 drone

A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday,

The drone "aggressively approached" the aircraft carrier with "unclear intent" and kept flying toward it "despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters," Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement.

The shootdown occurred within hours of Iranian forces harassing a U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed merchant vessel that was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the American military said.

Fars News Agency report on Tuesday, identifying the primary mission of surveillance drones of the type as monitoring all military movements in areas adjacent to the Islamic Republic, adding that data from these aircraft is transmitted to and received by ground bases in real-time.

An informed source speaking identified the aircraft as a Shahed-129 drone, commenting on reports from English-language media about a US aircraft targeting an Iranian drone over the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

"The Shahed-129 drone was conducting its routine and legal mission of reconnaissance, monitoring, and imaging in international waters. This is considered a standard and lawful procedure," it source.

The source added that the drone successfully transmitted its surveillance and reconnaissance footage to the command center.

Communication was, however, subsequently lost, it added, saying the cause of this disconnection was currently under investigation, and that further details would be released once finalized.

The developments came amid significant American military buildup in the West Asia region, including the Persian Gulf, concomitant with repeated threats issued by President Donald Trump of staging fresh military aggression against Iran.

Iranian officials, including top brass, have met the attempts at escalation and simultaneous rhetoric with stern warnings against any new miscalculation by Washington and its allies.

On Saturday, Leader of the Iran Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei warned that any war initiated by the United States against Iran would turn into a regional war.

The Leader of Iran said recent US rhetoric about war and military assets was nothing new, stating, "The Americans should know that if they start a war this time, it will be a regional war."