Iran Fires 101 Missiles at USS Abraham Lincoln — All Intercepted per US; Carrier Forced to Reposition
101 Qader anti-ship cruise missiles and IRGC drones target US carrier near Hormuz; Trump confirms full intercept; IRGC claims hits and withdrawal
Iran launched 101 missiles and drones targeting the USS Abraham Lincoln on Day 25 as the carrier operated within approximately 340 kilometers of Iran's territorial waters near the Strait of Hormuz, in support of Operation Epic Fury. The weapons included shore-based Qader anti-ship cruise missiles — Iran's primary naval strike platform — and IRGC naval drone units. US President Trump confirmed the attack publicly at the Homeland Security swearing-in ceremony: '101 missiles, highly sophisticated, very fast missiles shot, and of 101, all 101 were shot down, now for the most part lying at the bottom of the sea.' The IRGC disputed this, claiming the Qader missiles struck the carrier and forced it to change position, with the carrier strike group subsequently retreating. ABC News independently confirmed the carrier 'changed its position.' The USS Abraham Lincoln is a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered carrier with approximately 5,000 crew. Iran's naval commander had declared the carrier was under 'constant monitoring' and would be targeted the moment it entered missile range — the strike followed that warning by approximately one hour. This is the largest naval missile barrage targeting a US carrier in history, and the first known attempted IRGC strike on an American aircraft carrier.
Key facts
- •Iran fired 101 missiles (Qader cruise + drones) at USS Abraham Lincoln near Hormuz — Day 25
- •Trump: '101 missiles, all 101 were shot down, lying at the bottom of the sea'
- •IRGC: 'Qader missiles struck carrier, forced it to change position, strike group retreated'
- •ABC News confirms carrier 'forced to change its position' — repositioning acknowledged
- •Iran naval commander warned carrier under 'constant monitoring'; strike followed warning by ~1 hour
Timeline
Iran naval commander: USS Abraham Lincoln under constant monitoring — will be targeted on entering range
Iran fires 101 Qader missiles and drones at USS Abraham Lincoln near Hormuz — carrier repositions
Trump confirms at DHS swearing-in: '101 missiles fired, all 101 knocked down on the sea'