An Iranian drone was shot down as it aggressively approached an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea on Tuesday, a US military spokesman has said.

An F-35C stealth fighter jet which took off from the USS Abraham Lincoln warship shot down the drone in self-defence to protect the aircraft carrier and its personnel, US Central Command spokesman Capt Tim Hawkins said.

The ship was approximately 500 miles from the Iranian coast when the drone approached it with unclear intent. No US service members were harmed and no equipment was damaged.

It comes as the US continues to build up a military presence in the region, with tensions high between Washington and Tehran.}