Iran recently claimed to have attacked USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles, a claim outrightly rejected by the Pentagon.
The IRGC claimed that the action was carried out following recent operations by the armed forces of Iran against targets associated with the US and Israel. The statement claimed that the US Navy warship was struck during this operation.
“The US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was struck by four ballistic missiles,” the Guards said in a statement carried by local media, warning that “the land and sea will increasingly become the graveyard of the terrorist aggressors”.
The Pentagon outrightly rejected Tehran’s claim and said, “The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn’t even come close,” US Central Command said on X.
Now, CENTCOM has added more details and said, “The Iranian regime’s false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a US aircraft carrier. The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier.”
“US forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury,” CENTCOM added.
Iran presented its first-ever drone carrier, the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, last year. Iranian media, IRNA, described Shahed Bagheri as a cutting-edge naval vessel capable of launching and retrieving unmanned combat aircraft, which can carry a variety of attack and reconnaissance drones.
The Shahed Bagheri drone carrier, converted from a commercial ship, was believed to have a runway of about 180 meters and an operational range of 22,000 nautical miles.
Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri, chief of the Guard’s Navy, had earlier stated: “The addition of this ship to our fleet is an important step in increasing the defense and deterrence capability of Iran in distant waters and in maintaining our national security interests.”
The Shahed Bagheri was designed as a mobile maritime platform for drones and helicopters, while also supporting fast-attack boats. It could also carry USVs and short-range cruise missiles, according to reports.
Earlier, General Mohammad Bagheri, the chief of the Iranian armed forces, had called the warship “a mobile base that can operate self-sufficiently throughout the world’s waters.”
The American strike on the Shahid Bagheri may have occurred in the opening hours of the campaign, while the vessel was at its berthing in Bandar Abbas. Reports indicate it was hit as part of attacks that destroyed multiple Iranian vessels.
US President Donald Trump later stated that around 10–11 Iranian ships had been “knocked out,” with the Shahid Bagheri described as a high-profile “mothership” target due to its role in drone operations.
“First, we’re destroying Iran’s missile capabilities, and you see that happening on an hourly basis, and their capacity to produce brand-new ones,” he said. “Second, we’re annihilating their Navy. We’ve knocked out already 10 ships. They’re at the bottom of the sea. Third, we’re ensuring that the world’s number one sponsor of terror can never obtain a nuclear weapon. … And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
Satellite imagery and open-source reports have shown fires, sinking vessels, and destruction at Iranian ports following the strikes.
The Shahid Bagheri, having been in service for just over a year, was confirmed destroyed or heavily damaged, marking a major blow to Iran’s naval capabilities.
Meanwhile, Trump warned that an attack on Iran could extend longer than a month, with Israel bombarding Lebanon and Tehran targeting US allies in the Gulf. “From the beginning, we projected four to five weeks, but we have the capability to go far longer than that,” Trump said.
He also laid out objectives — destroying Iran’s missiles, navy, and nuclear program and eradicating its support for armed groups across the region. The objectives, interestingly, did not include toppling the Islamic Republic, even though Trump had nudged Iranians to rise up and overthrow the government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the US attacked only after learning that Israel was set to strike Iran. Iran had been ready to strike US forces in the region in response to Israel, so Trump decided to intervene “pre-emptively” alongside Israel, Rubio asserted.
“The imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked — and we believed they would be attacked — that they would immediately come after us,” Rubio told reporters.
Via: ET Desk and AFP
