US President Donald Trump has claimed that American naval forces successfully intercepted large-scale missile attacks launched by Iran targeting the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
According to Trump, Iran fired 101 missiles at the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but he asserted that “every single one was knocked down on the sea.”
“They shot 100 missiles at one of our aircraft carriers, one of the biggest ships in the world, actually. And of 101 missiles shot, every single one of them was knocked down. So you think of it, think of what that means. 101 missiles, highly sophisticated, very fast missiles shot, and of 101, all 101 were shot down, and now for the most part lying at the bottom of the sea,” Trump stated.
President Trump was referring to the Chinese-made CM-302 anti-ship missile and other anti-ship missiles produced in Iran with the assistance of China. Some CM-302 missiles were shot down, most of them malfunctioned mid-flight, and some veered off-course, not reaching the battle group.
The remarks came at the swearing-in ceremony for the new Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, in the Oval Office on Tuesday. Trump disclosed the details amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East linked to Operation Epic Fury, which began on February 28.
The comments follow earlier claims from Iran regarding the same carrier. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has asserted that its naval drone units struck the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Sea of Oman.
According to Iranian state-linked reporting, the carrier had approached within roughly 340 kilometers of Iran’s territorial waters near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. A spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters claimed the vessel was hit by drones and subsequently withdrew from the area.
Iranian officials further stated that the carrier strike group retreated more than 1,000 kilometers following the alleged engagement.
The US military, however, has rejected such claims. United States Central Command has previously described Iranian reports of successful strikes on the carrier as false, maintaining that the Abraham Lincoln remained fully operational and continued routine flight operations in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea.
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