Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy claimed on Friday that its ballistic missile hit the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, disabling it and forcing it to retreat from Gulf waters. However, Washington denied this, saying the carrier “continues to support Operation Epic Fury.”A U.S. Navy ship reportedly opened fire on an Iranian ship that came too close to the USS Abraham Lincoln, but it was unclear whether the ship was hit, CBS News reported. The status of the Iranian ship and its crew was unclear.
Iran’s claims
According to AA News citing Iranian media reports, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in a statement that the US Navy aircraft carrier was targeted during operations in the region.
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The statement did not provide details on the extent of the damage or possible casualties.Iranian state television reported that after the attack, the US aircraft carrier and its accompanying strike group “fleeed the area at high speed.” The report did not provide details on casualties or damage. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards had previously claimed to have attacked the Lincoln, but the Pentagon dismissed the previous claim, saying “the missiles fired did not come close at all.”
US denies
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) released a photo of the Abraham Lincoln, stating: “The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group continues to support Operation Epic Fury and project power from the sea.”However, it did not reveal any details about the incident. U.S. warships operating with the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea opened fire on Iranian ships that came too close to the carrier strike group, U.S. officials told CBS News. “An Iranian ship came too close to the USS Abraham Lincoln and the United States opened fire on the ship,” two U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity.Officials said it was unclear which navy ship opened fire on the Iranian ship, but missed multiple times. It was unclear whether the sounds were intended as warnings.The status of the Iranian ship and its crew was unclear. Officials explained that a Navy ship attempted to target the Iranian ship with a 5-inch 54-caliber Mark-45 gun but repeatedly missed. A Hellfire-equipped helicopter then hit the ship with two missiles. The status of the Iranian ship and its crew remains unknown.The USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, joins the USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy destroyers and other ships operating in the Arabian Sea. The carrier strike group arrived in the region in late January as part of a broader U.S. Navy presence that President Trump has dubbed the “Armada.”Earlier encounters have heightened tensions, including in early February when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone aggressively approached the carrier and was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet, CBS News reported. According to U.S. Central Command, more than 90 Iranian ships have been reported to have been damaged or destroyed by U.S. forces since the United States began military operations against Iran.
