An Iranian vessel recently approached the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, prompting a decisive response from US forces. On March 12, CBS, citing two US officials, reported that a US helicopter, armed with hellfire missiles, launched two munitions to strike the vessel after a US warship's attempts to deter it were unsuccessful. The status of the Iranian vessel and its crew remains undetermined.

The incident began earlier this week when the unidentified Iranian vessel "moved too close to the USS Abraham Lincoln." In response, a US warship opened fire with its 127 mm mark 45 naval gun. However, the officials stated that the rounds "repeatedly missed the target." It is unclear whether these were warning shots or if the warship experienced a targeting malfunction.

The USS Abraham Lincoln participates in an operation against Iran on March 3. Photo: *US Navy*

The identity of the US warship involved in the initial engagement was not disclosed. The US Navy currently deploys the destroyers USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy as escorts for the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, alongside six Arleigh Burke-class destroyers operating independently in the region.

The USS Abraham Lincoln, one of two aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East and Mediterranean Sea for airstrike operations against Iran, carries F-35C stealth fighters, F/A-18E/F combat aircraft, EA-18G electronic warfare aircraft, E-2D early warning aircraft, CMV-22B tiltrotor aircraft, and anti-submarine helicopters.

Location of Iran and the Arabian Sea. Graphic: *Guardian*

US Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency overseeing US military operations in the Middle East, has not yet commented on this incident. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has previously launched multiple attacks against the USS Abraham Lincoln using missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. However, the US Navy maintains that these efforts have not impacted the warship's operational capabilities.

Thanh Danh (Via CBS, Anadolu)