Tehran/Washington, Mar 1: Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed on Sunday that four ballistic missiles struck the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf, a charge swiftly dismissed by the United States as “a lie” amid escalating hostilities across West Asia.
In a statement carried by Iranian media, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the alleged strike marked a “new phase” in its battle against the “American-Zionist enemy”. The claim came after recent US–Israeli strikes that reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
However, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) rejected Tehran’s assertion, saying the missiles “didn’t even come close” and confirming that the USS Abraham Lincoln was not hit.
“The missiles launched didn’t even come close,” CENTCOM said in a post on X, adding, “The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM’s relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime.”
CENTCOM also said US forces struck an Iranian Jamaran-class corvette at the start of Operation Epic Fury. The vessel was reportedly sinking at a pier in Chah Bahar in the Gulf of Oman. “Members of Iran’s armed forces, IRGC and police must lay down your weapons. Abandon ship,” the US command said.
Iran, meanwhile, expanded its claims of retaliation across the region. It said four drones struck a merchant ship carrying ammunition for US warships at Jebel Ali anchorage and that a US naval base in Kuwait’s Abdullah Mubarak area was hit by ballistic missiles and drones, destroying infrastructure and causing American casualties. These claims could not be independently verified.
The British maritime security agency UKMTO reported that two ships were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz — one off Oman and another off the United Arab Emirates — underscoring rising risks to commercial shipping. Defence analysts note that anti-ship ballistic missiles, previously used by Yemen’s Houthi forces in 2023, are an emerging threat in regional waters.
The crisis has widened beyond maritime targets. Iran struck Israel, killing at least 10 people in Beit Shemesh, and targeted US-linked bases in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE. In the UAE, at least three people were reported killed and over 50 injured. Dubai’s international airport was shut and the Burj Khalifa evacuated amid fears of further strikes.
Israel responded with attacks on Iran’s Basij headquarters and Tabriz airport, reportedly destroying two Iranian Air Force fighter jets — F-5 and F-4.
US President Donald Trump warned Iran against further escalation, while the United Nations convened an emergency meeting and called for de-escalation.
As claims and counterclaims intensify, the situation remains fluid, with multiple fronts opening across the Gulf region and fears mounting of a broader conflict.
