US aircraft carrier targeted by Iran missiles; footage released hours after naval warning

Tehran: Iran announced on Wednesday that it fired Qader cruise missiles at the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, compelling the warship to change its position. The statement, carried by Iranian state television, described the move as an assertion of Iran’s maritime sovereignty.

Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, commander of the Iranian Navy, said that movements of the US carrier strike group are “constantly being monitored” and that any hostile approach will be met with “powerful strikes by the Iranian Navy.” Press TV reported that the operation was intended to assert control over Iranian waters and counter potential threats from the US-led fleet.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has been operating in the Persian Gulf amid the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran, which began on 28 February. This is not the first time Iran has claimed to target the carrier. On 6 March, Iranian state media reported drone strikes on the Lincoln, though the Pentagon denied the report, stating the missiles “didn’t even come close” to the vessel. Earlier in the month, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed a missile strike on the vessel on 1 March.

A video circulated by Iran’s Fars News Agency showed projectiles in the sky and loud explosions, though its authenticity could not be independently verified. Earlier, Iran’s naval commander had warned that the carrier would be targeted if it came within the range of Iranian missiles.

The US currently has two aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East as part of operations alongside Israel. Tehran has also warned that further strikes could occur if the carrier group remains within reach of its missile systems. The situation adds to rising tensions in West Asia, with the potential for further escalation if naval movements continue in the region.