US Navy shoots down Iranian drone over Strait of Hormuz

Trump said aircraft’s close proximity to warship threatened safet of the ship and its crew

The US Navy has shot down an Iranian drone over the Strait of Hormuz, according to US President Donald Trump.

Iran shoots down US drone over Strait of Hormuz
The drone is said to have flown too close to the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Boxer and ignored multiple calls to turn away.

Speaking at The Whitehouse, Trump said: “The Boxer took defensive action against an Iranian drone, which had closed into a very, very near distance, approximately 1,000 yards …and was threatening the safety of the ship and the ship’s crew. The drone was immediately destroyed.” Trump said this was “the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran” against vessels operating in international waters.

“The United States reserves the right to defend our personnel, our facilities and interests, and calls upon all nations to condemn Iran’s attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation and global commerce,” he said.

“I also call on other nations to protect their ships as they go through the strait and to work with us in the future.”

Details of the incident were confirmed in a short statement issued by chief pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman.

“At approximately 10 a.m. local time, the amphibious ship USS Boxer was in international waters conducting a planned inbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

“A fixed wing unmanned aerial system (UAS) approached Boxer and closed within a threatening range. The ship took defensive action against the UAS to ensure the safety of the ship and its crew.”

Last month Iran shot down a US drone over the Strait of Hormuz claiming it had “violated Iranian airspace”, and that the incident sent a “clear message to America”.

But the US military insisted the drone had been over international waters at the time, and condemned what it called an “unprovoked attack”.

Source: TradeWinds