Iran Claims US Aircraft Carrier Damaged in Missile & Drone Attack – US Denies

TEHERAN – Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Friday, March 13, 2026, that a missile and drone attack severely damaged the U.S. Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf. According to the claim, the carrier and its strike group subsequently retreated from the area. The assertion comes amid heightened tensions in the region and raises concerns about potential escalation.

The IRGC naval forces, as cited by Anadolu, stated that the carrier was rendered inoperable as a result of the attack.

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Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters also released a statement asserting that advanced missiles and drones struck the aircraft carrier as part of a precision operation. The vessel was approximately 236 miles (340 kilometers) from Iran’s maritime border in the Sea of Oman at the time.

“The USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group were seen fleeing the area at high speed,” according to a broadcast from Iranian state television.

United States Denies Claims

The United States has denied the IRGC’s claims, dismissing them as false. To support its denial, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) posted images stating that the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group remains operational. The development underscores growing regional tensions and the potential for miscalculation.

According to officials speaking anonymously to CBS News, U.S. Forces fired upon an Iranian vessel that approached the USS Abraham Lincoln too closely. The officials reported that a U.S. Navy ship attempted to disable the Iranian vessel using its 5-inch, 54-caliber Mark-45 gun, but missed multiple times. A helicopter then launched Hellfire missiles, striking the vessel with two of them. The Week reported on the conflicting accounts.

CENTCOM also shared images of the Abraham Lincoln carrier group, confirming it continues to support Operation Epic Fury, a demonstration of power projection from the sea. Deccan Herald has more on the situation. The IRGC had previously made similar claims regarding attacks on the Lincoln, all of which were dismissed by the Pentagon. The USS Abraham Lincoln is a nuclear-powered Nimitz-class carrier, hull designation CVN-72, and was accompanied by the destroyers USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy.