Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Saturday that its naval drone units successfully struck the US Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Sea of Oman, forcing the carrier and its escort ships to withdraw more than 1,000 kilometres from the area.
A statement carried by Iranian state-affiliated media, quoting the spokesperson of the Iranian Naval Headquarters, said, “The carrier had entered roughly 340 kilometres from Iran’s territorial boundary while operating close to the Strait of Hormuz.”
The spokesperson added that, following the “successful hit", the carrier group fled from the region along with other escort ships. It has now retreated to more than 1,000 kilometres from the region.”
The claim comes shortly after US President Donald Trump announced that US naval forces in the Gulf would be deployed to protect oil tankers from Iranian attacks.
The statement followed the IRGC’s earlier reported strike on a US-linked oil tanker in the Sea of Oman.
Iran has temporarily closed the Strait of Hormuz to vessels linked to the United States and its allies amid the ongoing conflict.
The IRGC’s latest assertion has neither been confirmed nor denied by the United States.
The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group has been operating in the broader Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea amid escalating tensions with Iran.
As the centrepiece of US power projection in the region, the carrier—despite protection from destroyers and frigates—remains vulnerable to high-speed missiles and drones due to its relatively slow movement.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on Friday that “there was no attack reported on the ship and that the entire fleet is intact and functioning with full strength in the region.”
Also read: Iran war spills into seas
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