'While sailing in regional waters...': CENTCOM issues first response after Iran claims strikes on USS Abraham Lincoln

Quashing reports of being hit by Iranian misslies, US CENTCOM on Thursday (Mar 26) shared photos of its warship - USS Abraham Lincoln - deployed in West Asian waters. It said that the warship continues flight operations against military targets in Iran while operating in regional waters, as tensions escalate. Iran on Wednesday (Mar 25) claimed it had struck the carrier. The United States Central Command has now said the vessel was not hit and remains fully operational. See the post here

Iran claimed that it has fired cruise missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, warning of further launches when the strike group's ships come in range. "The Iranian Navy's Qader cruise missiles (shore-based anti-ship missile) targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier belonging to the US and forced it to change its position," the statement said. It cited Navy chief Admiral Shahram Irani, who said the carrier group's movements were “constantly being monitored... and as soon as this hostile fleet comes within range of our missile systems, it will be subjected to powerful strikes by the Iranian Navy.” In a statement, the Iranian Army’s public relations office said its forces had targeted the carrier strike group with coastal cruise missiles. The announcement did not specify the extent of damage or whether the missiles reached their intended target. See the post here

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) made several high-profile claims regarding the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. On Mar 1, the IRGC officially claimed it had struck the USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles. State media and the IRGC warned that “the land and sea will increasingly become the graveyard of the terrorist aggressors.” On Mar 6-7, Iran released footage purportedly showing anti-ship cruise missiles and drones being launched from its coastline toward the carrier.

CENTCOM on Mar 1 dismissed the claim as a "LIE," stating that the missiles “didn't even come close.” Later, when Iran released footage, CENTCOM shared photos from the Arabian Sea showing the carrier fully operational and continuing its mission, raising further doubts over Tehran’s narrative. See post here

CENTCOM chief Brad Cooper said the United States Central Command has struck over 10,000 targets in Iran since the war began, claiming the operations have had “tangible effects.” In a video statement, he said, “We hit the 10,000th Iranian target just hours ago,” adding that joint efforts with Israel had expanded the scale of strikes. Cooper claimed the campaign has severely weakened Iran’s military capabilities, stating, “We’ve now destroyed 92% of the Iranian Navy’s largest vessels,” and that Tehran has lost the ability to project naval power. He also said Iran’s missile and drone attack rates have dropped by 90%, adding, “We have damaged or destroyed over two-thirds of Iran’s missile, drone, naval production facilities and shipyards.” “We are on a path to completely eliminate Iran’s wider military manufacturing apparatus,” he added.

Iran-US war began on Feb 28 when Washington and Israel launched pre-emptive strikes on the ISlamic Republic. Almost after a month of fighting, US President Donald Trump said a 15-point peace plan had been sent, including ceasefire terms and nuclear restrictions, insisting Iran was willing to negotiate despite its public stance. Iran has rejected negotiation claims with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying that his country is reviewing a US proposal to end the war but is not engaging in direct negotiations, calling such talks an “admission of defeat.” Meanwhile, military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari mocked Washington’s claims of negotiations, rejecting any possibility of alignment. Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also warned of strong retaliation against any hostile move.

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.