This US Air Force handout photo released by US Central Command public affairs on March 24, 2026, shows a US sailor preparing to launch an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14, from the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 22, 2026. The United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes against targets in Iran on February 28, sparking swift retaliation by the Islamic republic which responded with missile attacks across the region. (Photo by US Airforce / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – MANDATORY CREDIT “AFP PHOTO / US AIR FORCE PHOTO and US CENTRAL COMMAND / HANDOUT” – HANDOUT – NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS – DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
Iran fired cruise missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, the military said in a statement carried by state television, warning of further launches when the strike group’s ships come in range.
“The Iranian Navy’s Qader cruise missiles (shore-based anti-ship missile) targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier belonging to the US and forced it to change its position,” the statement said.
It cited Navy chief Admiral Shahram Irani, who said the carrier group’s movements were “constantly being monitored… and as soon as this hostile fleet comes within range of our missile systems, it will be subjected to powerful strikes by the Iranian Navy”.
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