US supercarrier at risk? Iran claims it targeted USS Abraham Lincoln with ballistic missiles. What comes next?
“The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was struck by four ballistic missiles,” the Guards said, warning that “the land and sea will increasingly become the graveyard of the terrorist aggressors,” AFP reported.
A direct claim against a US carrier
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday that they had struck the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles, according to statements carried by state media. “The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was struck by four ballistic missiles,” the Guards said, warning that “the land and sea will increasingly become the graveyard of the terrorist aggressors”, reported AFP. The claim follows US–Israeli joint air strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. However, there has been no independent confirmation of damage to the carrier.
Retaliation after Khamenei’s killing
Iran has framed its response as retaliation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian declared earlier that seeking justice and revenge was Iran’s “duty and legitimate right”, adding that the country would employ “all its capabilities” to fulfil that responsibility. Israel described Khamenei’s death as a “first step”, with military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani saying the joint operation “eliminated 40 senior commanders, including Khamenei, in one minute in two different locations over a thousand miles from Israel in broad daylight”.
Expanding theatre of attacks
The Guards also announced a fresh “large-scale” wave of operations. Explosions were reported in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Israeli rescue services said four people were killed in the latest missile attack. In the Gulf, the UAE defence ministry said two Iranian drones struck a warehouse at Al Salam Naval Base in Abu Dhabi, causing a fire in two containers but no casualties.
Expanding theatre of attacks
The Guards also announced a fresh “large-scale” wave of operations. Explosions were reported in Riyadh, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Manama, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Israeli rescue services said four people were killed in the latest missile attack. In the Gulf, the UAE defence ministry said two Iranian drones struck a warehouse at Al Salam Naval Base in Abu Dhabi, causing a fire in two containers but no casualties.
Strait of Hormuz flashpoint
Additionally, according to media reports, Tehran confirmed on Sunday that it had attacked an oil tanker that it said was “illegally attempting” to cross the Strait of Hormuz after warnings that “no ship is allowed to pass”. Oman’s Maritime Security Center said four people were injured in an attack on a Palau-flagged tanker north of Khasab Port. The strait carries a significant share of global oil exports and links Gulf producers to the Arabian Sea.
The carrier’s defences
The USS Abraham Lincoln operates within a wider Carrier Strike Group that includes Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers equipped with the Aegis combat system. These ships use advanced radar and interceptor missiles to defend against aircraft, cruise missiles and some ballistic threats. Iran’s arsenal includes anti-ship cruise missiles such as the Abu Mahdi and the hypersonic Fattah-2, which Tehran says can evade conventional air defences.
Other US carrier assets in theatre
In addition to the USS Abraham Lincoln, the US Navy’s newest class of supercarrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, represents the most advanced carrier capability in service. The Ford-class features the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), allowing faster and more efficient aircraft launches than the older steam catapults used on Nimitz-class ships. It also carries an upgraded radar suite and enhanced power generation capacity to support future directed-energy systems. Like the Lincoln, the Gerald R. Ford operates within a Carrier Strike Group.
What comes next?
Aircraft carriers are high-value strategic assets, but they operate within a dense, layered defensive network that includes airborne early warning aircraft, interceptor missiles, advanced radar systems and electronic warfare capabilities. Penetrating such protection is widely regarded by defence analysts as extremely difficult, though not impossible in a high-intensity conflict involving sustained and coordinated attacks. While Iran has repeatedly warned of attacking US carriers in the past, including in the weeks leading up to the current escalation, US authorities have made no official confirmation substantiating claims that the USS Abraham Lincoln or any other US naval vessels have been struck, and the US military has reported no casualties or damage to its ships amid the ongoing confrontation.
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