Iranian armed forces made a series of loud statements, claiming they put the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln out of action and forced it to withdraw. At the same time, local sources report tragic consequences from strikes on Iranian territory: an attack on the village of Hezab in the west of the country killed a family of six, including an infant, and wounded seven others. There are also reports of strikes on a residential building in the city of Iwan and on industrial facilities in the vicinity of Tabriz.
A representative of the "True Promise-4" operation headquarters said new unmanned aerial vehicles, including American MQ-9s, were destroyed in the Firuzabad and Bandar Abbas areas. According to him, the total number of drones of various types shot down during the operation reached 112. These successes, it is claimed, were achieved by the air defense forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The IRGC published a statement saying that since the start of the war it has struck 60 strategic and 500 military targets of the US and Israel, using hundreds of missiles and more than 700 drones. In response to American threats, Iran warned that if its oil and energy infrastructure were attacked, retaliatory strikes would be carried out against similar facilities across the region where the US has stakes or partners.
Alongside military actions inside Iran, security measures are being tightened. In the holy city of Qom, 13 people were detained on charges of illegally possessing Starlink satellite terminals. In Tehran, four people have also been arrested on suspicion of collecting and passing information to an opposition TV channel in London, including data on missile impact locations.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) categorically denied Iranian claims about the Abraham Lincoln, calling them "reworked lies." US forces confirmed that their carrier strike group continues to control the airspace. At the same time, according to the Wall Street Journal, at least five tanker aircraft were damaged in an Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. The total number of affected or destroyed tankers rose to seven.
The conflict between Iran, the US and Israel has continued since late February, claiming the lives of hundreds. Iran accuses its opponents of intending to eliminate the country's top leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and is delivering retaliatory missile and drone strikes against Israel, as well as against targets it considers to be American interests in Arab countries. The region remains highly tense, and reciprocal threats and military operations increase the risk of further escalation and widening of the conflict.
Comments on the news
What is the role and structure of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iran’s military and political system? - The IRGC is an elite military and ideological formation created after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. It operates parallel to the regular army and reports directly to the Supreme Leader of Iran. Its role includes defending the Islamic order, controlling strategic sectors of the economy (for example, oil and telecommunications), influencing foreign policy through the Quds Force (responsible for operations abroad) and internal security. Politically, the IRGC wields significant influence through ties with conservative political forces and its own economic empire.
What is the holy city of Qom and why are security measures being tightened there, including arrests over satellite terminals? - Qom is the main spiritual center of Shiite Islam in Iran, hosting important religious seminaries and the shrine of Fatima Masumeh. It symbolizes the regime’s religious authority. The tightening of security measures, including arrests over satellite terminals, is connected to authorities’ view that illegal access to satellite television and the internet poses a threat — it enables the spread of information beyond state control, which can undermine ideological control, especially in such a symbolically important city.
Which specific countries in the region might Iran be hinting at when it threatens strikes on oil infrastructure “where the US has stakes or partners”? - Iran is likely hinting at the Persian Gulf countries that are US allies and host significant oil infrastructure with American involvement. These primarily include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and possibly Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. These countries depend on oil exports, and strikes on their infrastructure could inflict economic damage both on them and on US interests in the region.
Full version: طهران تعلن إخراج حاملة طائرات أمريكية من الخدمة ومقتل 6 غربي إيران