Iran Claims Missile Strike On USS Abraham Lincoln As Leadership Transition Unfolds

Iran Claims Missile Strike On USS Abraham Lincoln As Leadership Transition Unfolds

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed it launched four ballistic missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln, according to Iranian state media, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions with the United States.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier in the US Navy, equipped with advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets. Its carrier strike group typically includes guided-missile destroyers armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles and is often accompanied by a nuclear-powered submarine. Satellite imagery previously verified by international media had placed the carrier off the coast of Oman in mid-February. The United States has not yet responded publicly to Iran’s claim.

Iran Frames Strikes As Self-Defence

Iranian officials have described the reported attack as retaliation. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the strikes were “an act of self-defence” in response to what he called American aggression.

The development comes amid a major leadership transition in Tehran. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian appeared on state television expressing condolences over the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He confirmed that an interim leadership council has begun operating to prevent a power vacuum.

According to Iranian state media, Pezeshkian is serving on a three-member interim committee alongside judiciary chief Mohseni Ejehei and cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi. Araghchi indicated that a new supreme leader could be selected within “a day or two.”

In his televised remarks, Pezeshkian said Iran’s armed forces were “crushing enemy’s bases” and vowed that the country would not allow recent events to weaken its resolve. In a post on X prior to his address, he stated that the government of the Islamic Republic would continue to carry out its responsibilities despite what he described as ongoing aggression.

The situation remains fluid as regional tensions intensify and the international community watches closely for a US response and further developments in Iran’s leadership transition.