August M
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Sunday that it had struck the USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles in the Persian Gulf, a claim swiftly rejected by the United States.
The assertion comes amid escalating hostilities between Washington and Tehran following recent U.S. and Israeli military operations.
U.S. Central Command dismissed the Iranian statement, calling it false, reports Ukrainska Pravda.
Conflicting accounts
In a statement cited by Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda, the IRGC said: “The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was struck by four ballistic missiles.”
The force also warned that “the land and sea will increasingly become the graveyard of the terrorist aggressors”.
However, US Central Command said in a post on X that the carrier had not been hit.
“The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime”, the statement said.
Strategic vessel
The USS Abraham Lincoln is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and part of the US Navy’s Nimitz class.
According to the US Navy, Nimitz-class carriers measure 333 metres in length and can displace roughly 100,000 tonnes, carrying up to 65 aircraft along with missile systems and other equipment. The service describes them as the largest warships in the world.
The Abraham Lincoln was deployed to the Persian Gulf in late January as part of what President Donald Trump referred to as an “armada”, sent to the region “just in case” as tensions mounted.
Escalating conflict
On 28 February, Trump announced that the United States had begun what he called “major combat operations” against Iran. Israel also conducted strikes.
Trump urged Iranians not to miss the opportunity to “take over your government”.
Iran subsequently launched attacks on several Gulf states hosting US military bases, further intensifying the standoff.
Sources: Ukrainska Pravda, US Central Command, US Navy
