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Iran targets USS Abraham Lincoln — CENTCOM says missiles "didn't even come close"

2026-03-01 · 16:00 UTC·Gulf of Oman / Arabian Sea

Iran's IRGC claimed it fired four ballistic missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. US Central Command responded that the "missiles launched didn't even come close" and confirmed the Lincoln was continuing to launch aircraft. The IRGC had been quoted by state-run IRNA as claiming the strike was successful — CENTCOM directly contradicted the claim.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's most powerful military body, claimed via state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) that four ballistic missiles had targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). CENTCOM response on X: The missiles "didn't even come close." CENTCOM confirmed the Lincoln was continuing to launch aircraft and conducting normal flight operations. The USS Abraham Lincoln is one of the primary US carrier strike groups deployed to the region as part of Operation Epic Fury. The carrier is operating in the Gulf of Oman / Arabian Sea — outside the Persian Gulf itself. The failed attempt to strike a US carrier is significant for several reasons: 1. It demonstrates IRGC intent to target capital warships, not just bases. 2. It demonstrates the failure of Iran's anti-ship ballistic missile capability against a maneuvering carrier with layered air and missile defense. 3. The IRGC's public claim of success, directly contradicted by CENTCOM, follows Iran's pattern of overstating military achievements (as in the April 2024 True Promise operation). IDF had previously confirmed shooting down 50+ drones launched at Israel from Iran during this period.

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Actor responses

CENTCOMSUPPORTINGSTATEMENT

Missiles launched at USS Abraham Lincoln didn't even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft.

IRGC (via IRNA)OPPOSINGSTATEMENT

Four ballistic missiles have successfully targeted the American aircraft carrier.

Sources

T1CENTCOM (X post)99% reliability

T1NBC News95% reliability

T2IRNA (Iranian state)60% reliability

Related signals (1)

Press TV (Iranian state media)@@PressTVHIGH

BREAKING — IRGC announces Operation True Promise 4 The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched multiple waves of retaliatory strikes under Operation "True Promise 4" (وعده صادق ۴). Targets include: ▸ 27 US military bases across West Asia ▸ Israeli military and industrial sites ▸ Tel Nof Air Base ▸ HaKirya IDF Headquarters, Tel Aviv ▸ US Fifth Fleet HQ, Bahrain ▸ Key installations in Qatar and UAE IRGC: "All Israeli and US military targets in the Middle East have been struck by the powerful blows of Iranian missiles." The USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was successfully targeted with four ballistic missiles.

2026-03-01 10:00 UTC

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PHAROS NOTE⚠️ Iranian state media — treat with extreme caution. "Operation True Promise 4" is the sequel to True Promise 1/2/3 (previous IRGC retaliatory operations). Claim of "successfully targeting" USS Abraham Lincoln is directly contradicted by CENTCOM: "missiles didn't even come close." Claim of hitting "27 US bases" is unverified and likely exaggerated. However, confirmed strikes on Bahrain 5th Fleet HQ, Al Udeid, Ali Al Salem, and Al Dhafra are real.