US shot down ‘threatening’ Iranian drone: Trump

President Donald Trump said a US warship patrolling the strait of Hormuz today shot down and destroyed an Iranian drone threatening its safety, an action that could escalate tensions in the oil shipping lane.

The US Navy's amphibious assault ship Boxer destroyed the drone after it approached to a "very, very near distance" of approximately 1,000 yards (1km) and ignored multiple calls to withdraw, Trump said. The White House has not yet provided more information on the drone or what led up to the confrontation.

"This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters," Trump said. "The US 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."

The incident in the strait of Hormuz — where an average of 21mn b/d of crude transited last year — comes hours after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard said it seized an oil tanker on 14 July in the strait. The Iranian armed forces branch claimed the oil tanker was being used to smuggle fuel to a larger "foreign vessel."

The Trump administration earlier today condemned the tanker seizure and accused the Islamic Revolution Guard of harassing vessels and interfering with their safe passage in and around the strait.

"Iran must cease this illicit activity and release the reportedly seized crew and vessel immediately," the US State Department said.

Iran last month shot down a high-altitude US military drone that it said had strayed into Iranian territory, although the US disputed that the drone ever strayed into Iranian airspace. Trump on 21 June said he called off plans for a retaliatory strike because it would have caused as many as 150 casualties.