The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran said early Friday that its forces struck the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln with missiles and drones, causing the ship "significant damage" and forcing it to return to the United States. However, U.S. military officials immediately and categorically denied the report. A spokesman for U.S. Central Command said the IRGC's claims are false and confirmed that the carrier continues to carry out its mission in the region as part of the campaign against Iran. The contradiction comes amid ongoing tensions between the United States, its allies, and Iran.
This is not the first such claim by Iranian forces. The IRGC previously announced attacks on the Abraham Lincoln in early March. At the same time, U.S. network CBS News, citing officials, reported that last week an Iranian vessel approached the carrier and U.S. sailors were forced to fire warning shots at it. Satellite images analyzed by experts confirm that the carrier is indeed in the Arabian Sea, roughly 185 kilometers from Oman's coast and about 320 kilometers from Iran.
The incident is part of a broader escalation of the conflict in the region. Since late February there have been reciprocal strikes: the United States and Israel have carried out strikes on targets in Iran, while Tehran, in turn, has attacked sites in Gulf countries, Iraq, and Jordan, saying the targets were U.S. bases. Iraqi armed groups have also claimed attacks on sites inside Iraq. Claims of attacks on key U.S. assets, such as aircraft carriers, have become part of the information war in this confrontation.
Full version: الحرس الثوري يتحدث عن انسحاب حاملة الطائرات "لينكولن" والجيش الأمريكي ينفي