U.S. fired at Iranian vessel that approached aircraft carrier, officials sa!
Awarship bearing down on one of America’s most powerful aircraft carriers. Warning shots that missed. Then helicopters, missiles, and a vessel struck in open water. That sequence unfolded this week in the Arabian Sea, when an Iranian vessel closed dangerously on the USS Abraham Lincoln, triggering a swift and escalating military response. Two U.S. officials, speaking anonymously to CBS News, confirmed the confrontation. A Navy warship first deployed its Mark-45 naval gun — a battle-tested 5-inch artillery system mounted on American destroyers since the 1970s — firing multiple rounds that failed to halt the approaching vessel. Whether those rounds constituted warning fire or direct interdiction attempts remains unresolved, a distinction carrying serious operational and diplomatic weight. When the guns proved insufficient, commanders escalated. A military helicopter launched, armed with AGM-114 Hellfire precision-guided missiles, and struck the Iranian vessel twice. The ship’s condition and crew casualties remain officially undisclosed.
The USS Abraham Lincoln operates at the center of a formidable carrier strike group that includes destroyers USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy. Which specific vessel fired first remains unconfirmed. Helicopters capable of carrying Hellfire missiles in such operations include the Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk and the Marine Corps’ AH-1Z Viper, though officials declined to identify the platform used. U.S. Central Command issued only a terse non-comment: “We have nothing for you on this.” The silence speaks volumes. This incident fits a deepening pattern — in early February, an Iranian drone approached the same carrier before an American fighter jet destroyed it. Since expanded operations began, U.S. Central Command reports American forces have damaged or destroyed more than 90 Iranian vessels. The Arabian Sea has transformed into a live flashpoint where routine naval movements increasingly carry catastrophic potential.