Iran Defies Pentagon: Claims Drones Struck USS Abraham Lincoln Near Strait of Hormuz

Original article: Irán desafía al Pentágono: asegura que drones golpearon al USS Abraham Lincoln cerca del estrecho de Ormuz

Iran has confronted the Pentagon, announcing that it launched a drone attack against the USS Abraham Lincoln on Thursday as it approached Islamic Republic’s maritime borders in the Gulf of Oman, aiming to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz.

«The USS Abraham Lincoln, which had come within 340 kilometers of Iran’s maritime borders in the Gulf of Oman attempting to control the Strait of Hormuz, was struck by drones from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy,» stated the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters.

He noted that the U.S. vessel quickly retreated with its destroyers and is now thousands of kilometers away from the area.

«The powerful strikes by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against the enemy have entered a new phase, and land and sea will become the burial site of terrorist aggressors,» the spokesperson remarked, according to Tasnim news agency.

Recently, the IRGC reported that the USS Abraham Lincoln was targeted by four ballistic missiles as part of Operation True Promise 4.

On that occasion, the IRGC spokesman, Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini, indicated that Persian naval forces had launched four cruise missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln, located about 250 to 300 kilometers off the coast of Chabahar in southeastern Iran. Following the attacks, Naeini stated the aircraft carrier «fled southeast into the Indian Ocean.»

In response to these claims, U.S. military forces asserted that the vessel was not hit, and the missiles launched «did not even come close.»

The attack on the USS Abraham Lincoln comes amid Tehran’s counteroffensive following joint U.S. and Israeli bombings that occurred on February 28. That incursion took place just 48 hours after a round of nuclear negotiations concluded in Geneva.

The military incursion resulted in the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with family members and high-ranking civilian and military officials. To date, U.S.-Israeli aggression has reportedly left more than 1,230 Iranians dead, according to the Martyrs and Veterans Foundation; while the number of injured has exceeded 6,180, based on records from the Persian state’s Ministry of Health.

Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani stated on Thursday that Israel and the United States continue to bomb civilian targets such as schools, universities, and medical centers.

She noted that to date, they have attacked 20 educational centers, 11 hospitals, 6 emergency centers, 7 Red Crescent facilities, and 14 medical institutions.

Furthermore, over 680 U.S. and Israeli personnel have been killed or injured as a result of Iran’s reprisals, according to the IRGC.

Iran Launches Twentieth Wave of Missiles Against Israel and U.S. Bases

As part of its counteroffensive against the series of attacks from Washington and Tel Aviv, Iran announced on Friday a combined missile and drone operation targeting Israeli territory and U.S. facilities in countries across the Middle East.

The IRGC confirmed that it launched «Khaibar Shekan» missiles with cluster warheads against targets in the heart of the Israeli capital, as part of the twentieth wave of Operation «True Promise 4».

Simultaneously, drones from ground, aerial, and naval forces targeted «Tel Aviv» and the radar site «Miron» in the occupied territory.

The IRGC also reported that they successfully shot down four drones originating from Israel, including three «Hermes» drones and one «MQ-9» drone, as reported by TeleSUR.

Iran Ready «for a Long War»

The IRGC spokesman made it clear that they are «prepared for a long war to punish the aggressor.»

He highlighted that «new Iranian innovations and weapons are on the way to us and have yet to be used on a large scale.»

Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated on Thursday that Tehran is prepared for a possible U.S. ground invasion. He also rejected any negotiations with Washington, asserting that the Islamic nation has not called for a ceasefire.

«We did not request a ceasefire even last time. Last time, it was Israel who called for a ceasefire. They requested an unconditional ceasefire after 12 days in which we resisted their aggression,» he noted, referring to the twelve-day war in June when Israeli and U.S. forces attacked Iranian nuclear facilities.

«We are waiting for them,» he challenged. He added that if the United States decides to advance troops into Iranian territory, «it would be a great disaster for them.»