Cassie Akiva

Despite the public implosion of the story, Aguilar is now touting his whistleblower status as a reason to vote for him.

He is competing to represent North Carolina's 13th congressional district.

A spokesperson for U.S.

Central Command said that a fighter jet from the USS Abraham Lincoln shot down the drone, quote, in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board.

No American service member was injured and no U.S.

equipment was damaged in the incident.

Later in the day, two Iranian boats and one drone linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated terror organization, harassed an American oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz along Iran's southern coast.

The boats approached the American vessel at, quote, high speeds and threatened to board the tanker.

A nearby U.S.

Navy destroyer escorted the vessel and the U.S.

Air Force responded with air support, which, quote, de-escalated the situation.

The incidents come as U.S.

and Iranian officials are scheduled to discuss an off-ramp to the rising tensions, which stem from the regime killing up to 36,000 protesters earlier in January.