An F-35C stealth fighter from the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone over the Arabian Sea. Hours later, six fast attack boats attempted to board and seize the US-flagged tanker Stena Imperative.
TEHRAN FEBRUARY 19: An F-35C stealth fighter from the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone over the Arabian Sea on February 3, 2026 — but the drone was only half the story. Hours later, six IRGC fast attack boats attempted to board and seize the US-flagged tanker Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz.
Threatening American crew members just days before US-Iran nuclear negotiations. This video breaks down the complete dual operation: how the F-35’s passive sensors collected a full electronic profile of Iran’s most advanced reconnaissance drone before destroying it with a single AIM-9X Sidewinder, and how the guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul intervened in the Strait to shut down the IRGC boarding attempt without firing a shot.
Beyond Military analyze the weapons systems, rules of engagement decisions, and the strategic miscalculation that led Iran to expose its entire coordination playbook — drone diversions synced with naval seizure operations — for nothing. From fifth-generation stealth technology to fire hoses and five-inch naval guns, this is how the US Navy handled two crises across five hundred miles in a single day.
