• US says F-35C fighter jet shot down Iranian drone in self-defence.
• President Trump refuses to rule out military action ahead of talks.
• Washington wants Tehran to cut its vast arsenal of ballistic missiles.

WASHINGTON: A US fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that approached an American aircraft carrier in the Middle East on Tuesday, Washington said, as renewed tensions on the high seas overshadowed plans for nuclear talks.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that US envoy Steve Witkoff is still expected “to have conversations with the Iranians late this week,” despite the incident.

The downing of the drone was the second clash between the foes in Middle Eastern waters on the same day, after Iranian forces attempted to detain a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.

Washington and Tehran have agreed to talks after US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened Iran with military action — and Iran warned that it would respond with strikes on US vessels and bases.

The US bombed Iran’s nuclear sites last summer, and has sent a naval battlegroup back to the region since Tehran’s deadly crackdown on anti-government protests.

Negotiations are now set for Friday, but Trump has refused to rule out military action, and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian insists talks will only go ahead provided they were free of threats.

“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defence,” Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said in a statement.

The aircraft carrier was dispatched to the Arabian Sea last month amid a buildup of US forces.

‘Bad things’

Trump had told Iranians that “help is on its way” during anti-government protests in Iran that were met with a deadly crackdown last month.

Pezeshkian confirmed on Tuesday that he had ordered the start of talks with the United States, provided they were free of threats, after Trump suggested “bad things” would happen without a deal.

Iran has not confirmed where the talks will take place but said Turkey, Oman and “some other countries in the region” had expressed willingness to host them, adding that the venue and timing were “not a complicated issue.”

Meanwhile, Iran has demanded that talks with the US this week be held in Oman, not Turkey, and that the scope be narrowed to two-way negotiations on nuclear issues only, a regional source said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Witkoff in Jerusalem on Tuesday that Iran “cannot be trusted,” according to a statement from Netanyahu’s office.

The US opposes Iran’s nuclear programme, which it maintains is a precursor to acquiring nuclear weapons, while Tehran insists it is for civilian research purposes.

Washington also wants to curtail Iran’s support for forces in the region and cut its vast arsenal of ballistic missiles.

“I have instructed my minister of foreign affairs, provided that a suitable environment exists — one free from threats and unreasonable expectations — to pursue fair and equitable negotiations,” Pezeshkian wrote in a post on X.

Iran has repeatedly stressed that any talks should focus solely on the nuclear issue and not its missile programme or defence capabilities.

While Trump and Pezeshkian insisted they were dedicated to talks, US and Iranian forces were in action at sea.

A US-flagged tanker was challenged on Tuesday by Iranian gunboats in the Strait of Hormuz, US Central Command said.

Spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins said two Iranian boats and a drone approached the M/V Stena Imperative “and threatened to board and seize the tanker.”

A US destroyer responded with air support and escorted the tanker onwards.

British maritime security firm Vanguard Tech reported that the Stena Imperative was approached by three pairs of small armed boats belonging to the Revolutionary Guards while transiting the strait 16 nautical miles (30 kilometres) north of Oman.

The ship increased speed and maintained course, the firm added, stressing it did not enter Iranian waters.

But the Iranian news agency Fars said a vessel, whose nationality it did not specify, had entered the country’s territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

“It was therefore warned and immediately left Iranian waters,” Fars said.

• Talks between Iran and US were to resume in Turkey on Friday
• Source says Iran wants to restrict talks to nuclear file.
• Kushner due to take part alongside Witkoff: second source.

 Iran is demanding that talks with the US this week be held in Oman, not Turkey, and that the scope be narrowed to two-way negotiations on nuclear issues only, a regional source said on Tuesday, adding new complications to an already delicate diplomatic effort.

Iran’s move to change the venue and agenda for the talks, scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, came amid heightened tensions as the US builds up forces in the Middle East.

Regional players have pushed for a resolution of a standoff that has led to mutual threats of air strikes and stirred fears of escalation into a wider war.

The US military on Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, the US military said, in an incident first reported by Reuters.

President Donald Trump, who warned on Monday that “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached with Iran, told reporters at the White House on Tuesday: “We are negotiating with them right now.” But he did not elaborate and declined to say where he expected the talks to take place.

The regional diplomat with knowledge of Iran’s demands said Tehran sought “to change the format, they want to change the scope.”

“They only want to discuss the nuclear file with the Americans, while the US wants to include other topics such as the (ballistic) missiles and the activities of Iran’s proxies in the region.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that talks with Iran were still scheduled to take place later this week.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson said consultations on the venue were still underway, Iranian Nour News reported later on Tuesday. The spokesperson said planning has been carried out to hold the negotiations in the coming days and that Turkey, Oman and several other countries had expressed a readiness to host the meeting.

A source familiar with the situation said earlier on Tuesday that Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, was due to take part in the talks, along with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

Ministers from several other countries in the region, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, had also been expected to attend, but the regional source told Reuters that Tehran now wanted only bilateral talks with the US.

US buildup follows street protests in Iran

The US naval buildup follows Iran’s violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last month.

Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene, has since demanded nuclear concessions from Iran and sent a flotilla to its coast.

The priority of the diplomatic effort is to avoid conflict and de-escalate tension, a second regional official told Reuters earlier.

Iran’s leadership is increasingly worried a US strike could break its grip on power by driving an already enraged public back onto the streets, according to six current and former Iranian officials.

With tensions running high, an Iranian Shahed-139 drone flying toward the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier “with unclear intent” was shot down by an F-35 US fighter jet, the US military said.

Iran’s Tasnim news agency said a connection had been lost with a drone in international waters, but the reason was unknown.

The US Central Command said in another incident on Tuesday, this one in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces harassed a US-flagged tanker.

“Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for the Central Command.

Maritime risk management group Vanguard said the Iranian boats ordered the tanker to stop its engine and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and continued its voyage.

Hawkins said a US Navy warship, the McFaul, was operating in the area and escorted the Stena Imperative, which was “proceeding safely.”

Earlier, the United Arab Emirates, a highly influential Gulf Arab oil producer and close US ally, said the region cannot afford another conflict and negotiations were needed.

Gulf Arab states are worried that Iran will carry out its threat to target US bases on their territory should Trump attack the Islamic Republic again.

In June, the United States struck Iranian nuclear targets, joining in at the close of a 12-day Israeli bombing campaign. Since then, Tehran has said its uranium enrichment work – which it says is for peaceful, not military purposes – has stopped.

Iranian sources told Reuters last week that Trump had demanded three conditions for resumption of talks: Zero enrichment of uranium in Iran, limits on Tehran’s ballistic missile programme and ending its support for regional proxies.

Iran has long said all three demands are unacceptable infringements of its sovereignty, but two Iranian officials told Reuters its clerical rulers saw the ballistic missile programme, rather than uranium enrichment, as the bigger obstacle.

One Iranian official said there should be no preconditions and Tehran is ready to show flexibility on uranium enrichment, including handing over 400 kg of highly enriched uranium, accepting zero enrichment.

Tehran’s regional sway has been weakened by Israel’s attacks on its proxies – from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq – as well as by the ousting of Iran’s close ally, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

• Starmer’s government hands Mandelson material to police.
• Ex-UK envoy to US accused of leaking market-sensitive material.
• Mandelson faces possible criminal charges after emails released by US.

British police on Tuesday launched an investigation into Peter Mandelson, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, over alleged misconduct in public office, following claims that he leaked market-sensitive information to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

London’s Metropolitan Police said in a statement that the investigation follows the receipt of reports alleging misconduct in public office, including a referral from the British government.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government handed material to the police to investigate whether Mandelson leaked information to Epstein during the financial crash.

Starmer told his ministers on Tuesday that Mandelson’s alleged leaks to Epstein were “disgraceful.” A few hours later, Mandelson said he would retire from parliament’s upper house, the House of Lords.

“The Met will continue to assess all relevant information brought to our attention as part of this investigation and won’t be commenting any further at this time,” Police Commander Ella Marriott said.

Separately, Thames Valley Police said in a statement they were reviewing a new claim against the former Prince Andrew.

Mandelson, a major player in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown more than two decades ago, is facing possible criminal charges after emails released by the US as part of the Epstein investigation suggested he had leaked confidential government documents to the financier.

The Times newspaper, which first reported the police investigation, said officers were expected to interview Mandelson and take statements from senior Labour figures, including former Prime Minister Brown.

Following the announcement of the investigation into Mandelson, a government spokesperson said it stood “ready to provide whatever support and assistance the police need.”

The emails suggest that in 2009, Mandelson sent Epstein a memo written for Brown about possible UK asset sales and tax changes, and in 2010, gave Epstein advance notice of a 500-billion-euro ($590 billion) bailout by the European Union.

Mandelson, 72, was fired from his ambassadorial role in September, seven months after being appointed, after documents emerged showing he had remained close to Epstein for much longer than he had previously acknowledged.

In one message, he appeared to tell Epstein that his earlier conviction, for procuring a child for prostitution, was wrong and he should fight for early release.

On Tuesday, Starmer told his cabinet he was not reassured that the totality of the information had yet emerged, according to his spokesperson.

His comments marked his strongest condemnation yet of the man he appointed ambassador to Washington last year despite his known association with Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019.

“The prime minister said he was appalled by the information that had emerged over the weekend in the Epstein files,” his spokesperson said.

Late on Sunday, Mandelson resigned from the Labour Party to prevent “further embarrassment”, after a new release of millions of documents exposed details of his closeness to Epstein, including suggestions of payments to Mandelson and his husband.

The scandal has sparked concerns about Starmer’s decision to appoint Mandelson as ambassador instead of a career diplomat, a decision advocated by his chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney.

Labour lawmaker Clive Efford, speaking in parliament on Monday, said the “key question here is who advised the prime minister?”

Mandelson has not responded to requests about the allegations. A spokesperson, however, has said Mandelson had no recollection of financial payments, totalling $75,000, from Epstein, as suggested by other emails and media reports.

In an interview with the Times conducted late last month and published on Tuesday, Mandelson said Epstein had been a “master manipulator.” He added: “I’ve had a lot of bad luck, no doubt some of it of my own making.”

Starmer, seeking to get on the front foot after some of his lawmakers said Downing Street’s initial response over the weekend was not strong enough, has ordered an investigation into Mandelson’s links with Epstein during Brown’s government.

Brown, however, pre-empted him, saying that he had asked officials to look into the matter back in September but that he had been told they had unearthed no departmental records.

The former prime minister said on Monday that after the “shocking new information” came to light in the latest tranche of Epstein papers, he had asked for “a wider and more intensive inquiry to take place.”

Starmer has also called for the former Prince Andrew to testify before a US congressional committee, following new revelations about his links to Epstein.

Asked about the situation at a meeting in Dubai on Tuesday, Prince Edward, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s younger brother, said: “It’s really important always to remember the victims,” echoing previous statements from King Charles and Queen Camilla.

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said the force was aware of allegations that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor, where the former prince resides, for sexual purposes in 2010.

The woman’s lawyer told the BBC over the weekend that the woman, who is not British, was in her 20s at the time and was allegedly sent to Britain by Epstein for a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor. He has always denied any wrongdoing.

“We are assessing the information in line with our established procedures,” the police spokesperson said, adding that the force takes any reports of sexual crimes extremely seriously.

A review does not necessarily lead to an investigation.