In Iranian sources describe as their most advanced naval operation to date, forces targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group in the Arabian Sea with a multi-layered attack combining drone swarms, fast attack boats, anti-ship missiles, and ballistic missiles—all synchronized for maximum impact.

According to detailed accounts circulating from pro-military channels, the assault unfolded on March 1, 2026, involving simultaneous waves of Iranian Shahed drones and C-802 anti-ship missiles directed at the carrier and its escorts. Four Shahab-3 ballistic missiles were reportedly fired as the culminating strike, aimed to overwhelm defenses in a single overwhelming salvo.

The U.S. Navy’s response highlighted the strike group’s layered defenses:

• USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy, Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, engaged the incoming drone and missile waves head-on. Using their Aegis combat systems, they tracked and intercepted multiple threats with SM-2 missiles and close-in weapon systems.
• The USS Frank E. Petersen Jr., serving as the group’s dedicated Aegis ballistic missile defense platform, held position to counter the high-altitude ballistic missile threat. It reportedly executed an SM-3 Block IIA intercept, with the kinetic kill vehicle achieving a direct hit on a maneuvering reentry vehicle in exo-atmospheric space—physically colliding to destroy the incoming warhead.

Supporting close-in defense, Phalanx CIWS systems on the escorts provided final-layer protection against any leakers that penetrated outer defenses.

Emboldened carrier air wing assets joined the fight: F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Abraham Lincoln launched counterstrikes, reportedly using infrared signatures from Iranian missile exhaust plumes to locate and target launch sites or command elements—turning the attackers’ own weapons signatures into targeting data.

The engagement, part of the broader U.S. Operation Epic Fury against Iranian military capabilities, has been framed in some reports as a decisive demonstration of American naval superiority. U.S. officials maintain the carrier strike group remains fully operational, with no confirmed damage from the reported Iranian salvo, while continuing strikes in the region.

This incident underscores the high-stakes naval confrontations in the Middle East, where advanced missile and drone tactics meet robust U.S. defensive networks and rapid counter-air power.