In a brazen and highly unusual ᴀssault on day 64 of the 2026 US-Iran war, Iranian forces launched four ballistic missiles in a near-vertical “straight-down” trajectory directly at the USS Gerald R. Ford, America’s most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier currently operating in the Strait of Hormuz.
According to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, the missiles were detected at high alтιтude and appeared to use a depressed trajectory designed to minimize warning time. The carrier’s layered defense systems — including SM-3, SM-6 missiles, SeaRAM, and Phalanx CIWS — engaged immediately. Three of the four missiles were successfully intercepted and destroyed in spectacular mid-air explosions. The fourth missile was damaged but still impacted the carrier’s flight deck area, causing localized fires and structural damage.
Initial reports indicate the damage is contained and the carrier remains fully operational with no loss of propulsion or combat capability. Several sailors sustained injuries, but no fatalities have been reported on the Ford.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps quickly claimed responsibility, calling the attack “precise and symbolic” retaliation for recent U.S. strikes on Iranian facilities. However, military analysts describe the ᴀssault as desperate and largely ineffective against the Ford’s advanced defenses.
This direct attack on America’s flagship carrier marks one of the boldest moves Iran has made in the conflict so far. It comes amid heavy U.S. pressure, including A-10 Warthog ground attacks, B-2 strikes on underground tunnels, and the presence of over 13,000 Marines in the region.
U.S. Central Command reports nearly 200 American troops injured across the theater with 13 confirmed deaths. President Donald Trump condemned the attack as “reckless and foolish,” warning: “They tried to hit our greatest carrier. They failed. The price Iran will pay will be very heavy.”
The USS Gerald Ford remains on station in the Strait of Hormuz alongside its full strike group. Brent crude prices spiked above $134 per barrel following the incident.
The war has reached a dangerous new intensity with Iran now directly targeting America’s most powerful naval ᴀsset.
The situation is extremely volatile and developing by the hour.
