The US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln—often touted in Tehran as “Trump’s nuclear warship”—has come under one of the most dramatic attacks of the war, with Iranian ballistic missiles slamming into the carrier’s defensive ring and rocking the giant ship itself, defence sources say.

Alarms shrieked across the Lincoln’s decks as radar detected a salvo of heavy Khorramshahr‑class missiles arcing out of western Iran toward the carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea. Escort destroyers immediately launched SM‑2 and ESSM interceptors, turning the dawn sky into a lattice of fireballs. But at least one missile pushed through, detonating just off the starboard bow in a blinding flash and shockwave that ripped across the water.

CHILLING footage filmed from a nearby escort shows the moment of impact: a towering column of spray engulfing the Lincoln’s hull, crew thrown to the deck, loose gear and aircraft tugs sliding across the hangar bay as the 100,000‑tonne ship shudders. US officials later confirmed “topside damage and several injuries,” but insist the nuclear‑powered carrier remains “fully mission‑capable” and its reactors were never at risk.

In Tehran, the Revolutionary Guard is hailing a “historic hit” on “Trump’s floating fortress,” claiming the strike proved Iran can reach the heart of US naval power. Washington counters that no direct hull penetration occurred and warns that any further attempt to cripple the Lincoln will trigger even more devastating strikes on Iran’s missile and command infrastructure.

As the carrier’s crew scrambles to repair scorched sections of the flight deck and the strike group pulls back to assess damage, one question now hangs over the world’s sea lanes: was this a symbolic scare—or the first successful step in Iran’s bid to turn America’s most famous warship into a permanent target?