In an unprecedentedly tense confrontation in the Persian Gulf, Iran launched its most audacious attack to date: simultaneously firing 28 Russian-made P-800 Oniks supersonic cruise missiles directly at the USS Abraham Lincoln – a symbol of US naval power.

According to Iranian military sources, at 2:47 PM on March 25, 2026, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Navy activated their coastal launch systems, raining a “firestorm” of Oniks missiles on the US carrier strike group. These are no ordinary missiles – the P-800 Oniks (also known as Yakhont) are dubbed “carrier killers” with speeds of Mach 2.5 (nearly 3,000 km/h), the ability to fly low to evade radar, carrying a 300kg warhead, and a range of up to 600km. One missile is enough to threaten a large warship; 28 missiles… that’s a real nightmare.

The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) – a “super aircraft carrier” worth over $6.8 billion, carrying dozens of F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-35C, and Aegis defense systems – is operating near the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran declared: “The US aircraft carrier was forced to urgently change position after being targeted by Oniks missiles.” This is considered Tehran’s strongest retaliation since tensions escalated.

Why did Iran choose Oniks?

The missiles are supplied by Russia (or Iran produces an improved version).

Their “fire-and-forget” capability, flying in a curved trajectory, makes them extremely difficult to intercept.

A single launch of 28 missiles creates a “saturation storm” – even advanced US defense systems would break out in a sweat.

The US has not yet issued an official statement confirming the damage, but President Donald Trump has emphasized: “Every missile was sH๏τ down.” However, images and videos released by Iran show at least some missiles approaching the carrier group.