Iran Claims to Have Incapacitated USS Abraham Lincoln; U.S. Military Calls It "Lies"

Published 14 Mar.2026 18:20(KST)

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). Photo by Reuters Yonhap News Agency

The Iranian military has claimed to have incapacitated the USS Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. aircraft carrier operating in the Middle East; the U.S. military immediately denied this assertion.

On March 14 (local time), Iranian military spokesperson Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi stated, "The largest U.S. Navy warship, the USS Abraham Lincoln, which has plundered Muslim resources and spread terror, has completely lost its operational capability in the face of the power of the great Islamic nation of Iran."

He added, "The Lincoln has suffered a humiliating defeat that will go down in history, and this defeat will be remembered by history forever." However, he did not specify the method or scale of the alleged attack.

In response, the U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on this day, saying, "The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has again claimed they incapacitated the USS Abraham Lincoln," and noted, "They have habitually claimed in the past that they destroyed the Lincoln."

Along with the post, Central Command shared a graphic labeling a photo of spokesman Shekarchi with the phrase "Fact Check - LIE."

Central Command stated, "The Revolutionary Guard Corps not only habitually lies, but also commits contradictions by covering lies with more lies," and emphasized, "The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group continues to hold control over Iranian airspace and territorial waters." On March 12, the U.S. military uploaded a video showing aircraft launching from the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Previously, on March 1, the Iranian military also claimed to have struck the USS Abraham Lincoln with four ballistic missiles, but the U.S. military immediately denied this as well.