Iran and US prepare to meet after skirmishes

What happened

The U.S. on Tuesday shot down an uncrewed Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea and intervened when two Iranian military vessels intercepted a U.S. merchant ship in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said. The incidents occurred amid heightened tensions in the region as President Donald Trump ramps up the U.S. military presence in the region and both countries prepare for bilateral talks later this week.

Who said what

A U.S. Navy F-35C fighter jet shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone that "aggressively approached" the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln with “unclear intent,” about 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast, U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement. Several hours later, the guided missile destroyer USS McFaul intervened and escorted the Stena Imperative to safety after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces, backed by another drone, “harassed” and attempted to board the U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed ship.

Trump threatened to attack Iran last month “after its government brutally crushed anti-government protests,” killing thousands of demonstrators, The New York Times said. “As the protests have ebbed,” he “shifted his focus to demanding a deal that would end Iran’s nuclear program,” among other stipulations. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on social media Tuesday his envoys would “pursue fair and equitable negotiations” with the U.S., but only in a “suitable environment” that is “free from threats and unreasonable expectations.”

What next?

Tuesday’s skirmishes strained but did not derail “already tenuous negotiations over the staging” of the upcoming meeting, The Washington Post said. Multilateral talks were scheduled to begin Friday in Istanbul, but Tehran “requested a new format and location for the meeting,” and now just Iranian and U.S. envoys are expected to meet in Oman.