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The U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone on Feb. 3 that “aggressively” approached an aircraft carrier in the Middle East “with unclear intent,” according to U.S. Central Command.

The USS Abraham Lincoln was in the Arabian Sea around 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone approached the ship, according to a statement sent to USA TODAY.

A fighter jet launched from the aircraft shot down the drone “in self-defense,” the statement read. No American servicemembers were harmed, and no equipment was damaged during the incident, it stated.

According to the statement from the U.S. military, Iranian forces “harassed” a U.S.-flagged merchant vessel with an American crew on board in the Strait of Hormuz in a separate incident hours later. Two Iranian military ships and a drone had approached the American ship, which is named Stena Imperative, “at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” the statement said.

The USS McFaul, a guided missile destroyer that is also deployed in the area, escorted the vessel with support from the Air Force, and “the situation de-escalated,” according to the statement.

The developments come as President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to use U.S. military force on Iran if it does not agree to a deal on its nuclear program. He has deployed a growing number of military assets towards the country, including the USS Abraham Lincoln and its accompanying warships.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a Fox News appearance that scheduled talks between the U.S. and Iran set for later this week were still expected to proceed as planned.

Leavitt said that Trump maintains a range of options. “And that includes the use of military force,” Leavitt said.

Iran’s supreme leader said in recent days that the country would strike back if attacked.

“We are not the initiators and do not want to attack any country, but the Iranian nation will strike a strong blow against anyone who attacks and harasses them,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Feb. 1, according to Iranian state media.

Asked about those comments, Trump told reporters on Feb. 1, “We have the biggest, most powerful ships in the world over there.”

“Hopefully, we’ll make a deal. If we don’t make a deal, then we’ll find out whether or not he was right.”

Protests have exploded in Iran in recent weeks at an escalating degree not seen since the country’s 1979 revolution. In response, the government has unleashed a bloody crackdown that has killed more than 6,800 people, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran, a U.S.-based human rights organization tracking the violence.

Contributing: Francesca Chambers