In a potentially game-changing development in the Iran War, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims it has successfully struck the USS Abraham Lincoln supercarrier with anti-ship missiles, forcing the powerful vessel to retreat from the Gulf amid heavy damage.

IRGC commanders released video and satellite imagery showing explosions and thick smoke rising from the Nimitz-class carrier’s deck. According to Tehran, multiple missiles penetrated the Lincoln’s defenses during operations in the Arabian Sea, causing significant damage to flight operations and radar systems. “The second American carrier has been hit and is now fleeing our waters,” declared an IRGC spokesperson.

The Pentagon has pushed back aggressively, admitting the Lincoln came under attack but insisting the damage was “minimal” and that the carrier remains “fully combat effective.” However, real-time shipping trackers show the Abraham Lincoln strike group suddenly altering course and moving eastward, away from Iranian coastal waters — raising serious questions about the true extent of the damage.

This incident comes just days after the USS Gerald R. Ford suffered yet another major fire, leaving both of America’s most powerful aircraft carriers compromised in the same theater. The Abraham Lincoln had been rushed in to replace the battered Ford, making this latest setback especially humiliating for U.S. naval command.

Operation Epic Fury is now facing a serious credibility crisis. The U.S. has already burned through more than $11 billion in munitions in the opening phase, critical radar systems across the region have been destroyed, and interceptor stockpiles are dangerously depleted. Israel continues to absorb punishing missile barrages from Iran and Hezbollah, while the Strait of Hormuz remains a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly war zone.

As conflicting claims fly between Tehran and Washington, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: America’s once-unquestioned naval dominance in the Persian Gulf is under unprecedented challenge. Is the Lincoln truly retreating after being hit, or is this another attempt by Washington to downplay growing vulnerabilities?

With both supercarriers now operating under severe limitations, the war that was supposed to deliver swift victory is rapidly turning into a dangerous and expensive stalemate — one that is exposing the limits of U.S. power in real time.