ISTANBUL

Communication was lost with an Iranian drone after it successfully transmitted its reconnaissance data to the control center while operating in international waters, Iranian media reported late Tuesday, quoting an informed source.

Speaking to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the source said the drone, identified as a Shahed-129, was carrying out a “routine and legal mission” involving surveillance, monitoring and imaging in international waters.

The source later clarified that the drone belonged to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The drone “successfully sent its reconnaissance and monitoring images to the center” before contact was lost, added the source.

The cause of the loss of communication remains under investigation, it said.

The Iranian report came after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said that a US fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday after it approached an American aircraft carrier.

Hawkins added forces are ensuring the safety of US personnel, ships and aircraft in the Middle East.

The development comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the United States, fueled by an American military buildup in the Persian Gulf and repeated threats of military action by US President Donald Trump.