File Photo: Aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln transiting the Arabian Sea. AFP
"The Iranian Navy's Qader cruise missiles (shore-based anti-ship missile) targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier belonging to the US and forced it to change its position," the statement said.
It cited Navy chief Admiral Shahram Irani, who said the carrier group's movements were "constantly being monitored... and as soon as this hostile fleet comes within range of our missile systems, it will be subjected to powerful strikes by the Iranian Navy".
Iran had earlier said, on 13 March, that it carried out missile and drone strikes against the carrier and other vessels from the US Fifth Fleet.
Addressing the incident on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that Iran had fired 101 missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln, but he claimed that "every single one was knocked down on the sea". His remarks appeared to contradict earlier US military statements that downplayed or denied the incident.
The latest claims come as US naval forces face mounting operational strain in the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has withdrawn from the Red Sea after a fire onboard, scuttling plans for the 100,000-tonne nuclear-powered vessel to project power in the US-Israeli war on Iran, which broke out on 28 February, according to US officials and media reports.
The 12 March fire injured at least two crew members and forced the vessel to return to a naval base in Crete. While the US military initially said the incident was not combat-related, The New York Times reported that it took more than 30 hours to extinguish the blaze, leaving hundreds of sailors without accommodation.
The vessel has also reportedly suffered significant problems.
According to Bloomberg, the ship, the most expensive American warship ever built, cost $13.2 billion. has concerns ranging from its operational suitability to the reliability of key systems, including its jet launch and recovery system and radar, with insufficient data available to assess its operational effectiveness.
“Taking the Ford off the board for any significant length of time means less US support to war efforts,” Daniel Schneiderman, director of global policy programs at Penn Washington, told AFP.
The extended deployment has also drawn criticism in Washington. Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the carrier group had been “pushed to the brink” after nearly a year at sea.
"They have been paying the price for President Donald Trump's reckless military decisions," Warner said.
Short link: