Iranian Drone Approaches American Naval Group in the Persian Gulf 'Unprofessionally'

The U.S. Central Command Navy stated that an Iranian drone on Tuesday posed a 'non-safe and unprofessional' flight risk to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group in the Persian Gulf. Rear Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command Navy, said that during a routine patrol in international waters of the Persian Gulf, the Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) performed unsafe and unprofessional maneuvers near the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. He noted that Iran ignored multiple warnings issued regarding this matter. Brad Cooper stated, 'Iran's actions violated safety precautions outlined in the 'Daily Notice to Airmen.' The 'Daily Notice to Airmen' instructs manned and unmanned aircraft to maintain a distance of more than 10 nautical miles from the aircraft carrier to ensure the safety of military and civilian aircraft operations. He reported that there were no casualties and no aircraft were damaged. The Iranian drone reportedly approached the American naval group by about 1,500 yards. On Tuesday, Islamic Republic media released images of what they described as the Islamic Republic Navy's surveillance of American warships. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that an anonymous U.S. official stated that a U.S. Navy warship operating near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait shot down a drone launched from Yemen. The official indicated that based on initial information, the U.S. warship - USS Carney - considered an Iranian-made KAS-04 drone a threat and shot it down over waters in the southern Red Sea. Blinken: Most drones used in the attack on Kyiv by Russia were 'made in Iran.' CENTCOM announced the entry of the Eisenhower strike group into the Persian Gulf; goal: to ensure the security of free navigation.