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Photo An American Super Hornet fighter jet during an aviation exhibition in Bangalore, India, in 2011. Credit Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press

WASHINGTON An unarmed Iranian drone buzzed an American Super Hornet fighter jet as it circled an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, Defense Department officials said on Tuesday.

A statement released by the militarys Central Command said that despite repeated radio calls demanding that Iran keep the drone clear of American flight operations in the vicinity of the aircraft carrier Nimitz, the Iranian vehicle came within 100 feet of the fighter jet, which had to swerve to avoid a collision.

At the time of the incident, the jet had been in a holding pattern and was planning to land on the carrier, the statement said.

The dangerous maneuver created a collision hazard and is not in keeping with international maritime customs and laws, the statement said. The American military said this was the 13th unsafe or unprofessional interaction between American and Iranian maritime forces this year.

In June, the United States downed two Iranian-made drones that the Pentagon said were approaching American-backed troops on the ground in Syria. There have been a series of clashes in a potential proxy war in Syria that has pitted Iranian-backed militias that support President Bashar al-Assad against Syrian fighters who have been trained by American, British and other coalition military advisers.

In the Persian Gulf, there have been an increased number of close calls and incidents as the United States has stepped up assistance to Saudi Arabia and other allies fighting Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

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Iranian Drone Buzzes US Fighter Jet Over Persian Gulf - New York Times