They are

 

setting the stage.

US shoots down Iranian drone 

as Middle East tensions escalate

FT 02/03/26

Iranian gunboats also challenged US-flagged tanker 

in Strait of Hormuz days before planned negotiations

"The US military said it shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively approached” an American aircraft carrier 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast on Tuesday, an incident that risks escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran."

(So who do you think that benefits?

US or Iran?)

"In a separate incident hours later, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces threatened to board and seize a US-flagged tanker in the Strait of Hormuz."

'The approaches from Iranian drones and IRGC gunboats risk antagonising US President Donald Trump, who has been weighing taking military action against Iran. Officials from the two countries are planning to meet for talks on Friday over Iran’s nuclear programme and other issues."

(So why would they bother

to do so? They have already been saying 

they are ready for war for some time now.) 

"An F-35 fighter jet from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier shot down a Shahed-130 drone that “unnecessarily manoeuvred toward the ship” with “unclear intent”, said the US Central Command, which oversees US military operations in the region."

"The US has amassed what Trump has called a “large armada” in the Middle East to take potential military action against Iran."

"White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the US-Iran talks were still scheduled for Friday, but added military action remained on the table."

“President Trump is always wanting to pursue diplomacy first, but obviously it takes two to tango. You need a willing partner to achieve diplomacy,” she said on Tuesday."

"The Iranian drone flew “toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by US forces operating in international waters”, Centcom added. US forces shot it down in “self-defence”.

"Later on Tuesday, two IRGC boats and a Mohajer drone approached the Stena Imperative at “high speeds” and “threatened to board and seize the tanker”, Centcom said. A US destroyer then escorted the Stena Imperative with support from US aircraft, and the situation has “de-escalated”, Centcom said."

"IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency quoted unnamed Iranian officials as saying “a vessel entered Iranian waters”, prompting the country’s “supervisory units to demand the necessary permissions”.

The agency added the vessel “lacked any legal authorisation to be in these waters”, and had received a “warning” after which it “immediately left Iran’s waters . . . without any incident”.

"Centcom said: “Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated. Iran’s unnecessary aggression near US forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation and regional destabilisation.”

So expect this type of activity

to continue

until the US uses it as an excuse

to do what has already been decided upon.

ATTACK IRAN

It's what we do

before we do

what we already decided

we are gonna do.

We got kind of a habit

of manufacturing 

international  incidents

to use as an excuse

to do

what we have already decided. 

See:

Gulf of Tonkin incident

Iraq 

Weapons of mass destruction