At precisely 3:00 AM local time in the northern Persian Gulf, the radar system of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group suddenly sounded a deafening red alert. Two Iranian C-802 Noor anti-ship missiles launched from their launchers along the Bushehr coast, soaring across the water and heading directly toward the U.S. fleet’s route – a strategic route frequently used by the U.S. Navy to maintain a presence in the region.

This is not the first time Iran has challenged U.S. limits in this sensitive area, but this time, the action occurred at night, amidst the escalating U.S.-Iran conflict with Operation Epic Fury – the largest air and naval strike campaign since the beginning of 2026.

According to initial intelligence sources, the two Noor missiles were launched from mobile launchers belonging to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). They flew low, using the terrain to avoid radar, and it took them less than 4 minutes to approach within 50 nautical miles of the US carrier group. On board the USS Abraham Lincoln, the crew immediately switched to Level 1 combat readiness. The Aegis defense system on the escort destroyers (USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., USS Spruance, and USS Michael Murphy) locked onto the target instantly.

But what captured the world’s attention was the speed of the US response: less than 9 minutes after the missile was detected, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C Lightning II fighters took off from the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln. This was one of the fastest responses recorded in modern naval history.