Jim Hanson: US downing of Iranian drone is a warning to stop aggression and support for terrorism

Good morning and welcome to Fox News First. Here's what you need to know as you start your Friday ...

What the US downing of an Iranian drone really means
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been gradually rising for weeks, and President Trump's announcement Thursday that a U.S. Navy ship downed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz only further strained relations between the two countries. Trump said the USS Boxer took defensive action after the drone closed to within 1,000 yards of the warship and ignored multiple calls to stand down -- an act the president called "provocative and hostile."

Iran on Friday denied Trump's statement. "We have not lost any drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else," tweeted Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to Jim Hanson, president of Security Studies Group, who served in the U.S. Army Special Forces, the U.S. sent an important message to Iran: Aggression has consequences and America will strike back when provoked. And President Trump is not former President Obama and will not be compromised by a flawed nuclear deal. Click here to read Hanson's entire analysis in the Opinion section of Fox News Digital.