Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for a missile attack targeting the USS Abraham Lincoln, according to statements carried by Iranian state media on Sunday.
In the statement, the IRGC said it launched four ballistic missiles at the U.S. aircraft carrier, escalating tensions amid the widening regional conflict.
The claim has not been independently verified, and the United States has not issued an immediate response.
The USS Abraham Lincoln is the fifth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the United States Navy and forms part of a powerful carrier strike group deployed to the region.
The vessel is equipped with advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets designed to evade enemy radar systems.
Its strike group typically includes three guided-missile destroyers armed with Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles and is often accompanied by a nuclear-powered submarine capable of launching the same weapons.
Satellite imagery verified by BBC Verify previously showed the carrier operating off the coast of Oman on February 15.
There has been no confirmation from U.S. officials regarding damage or casualties, and Washington has yet to comment on the Iranian claim.
The reported attack, if confirmed, would mark a significant escalation in hostilities between Iran and U.S. forces operating in the Middle East.
BBC.
