Iran said it struck a US aircraft carrier as American-Israeli attacks killed civilians and clashes continued across the country.
Key Developments
- Iran said the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier was “taken out of service,” a claim rejected by the US military.
- A US-Israeli strike killed six members of one family, including an infant, in western Iran.
- Iran said it has attacked 500 US and Israeli targets and downed 112 drones since the start of the war.
Iran Says US Carrier Was Hit
A spokesperson for Iran’s armed forces said the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier had been disabled during the confrontation.
“We took the American aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln out of service and it fled,” the spokesperson said, according to Iranian media reports cited by Al Jazeera.
The United States rejected the claim. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the Iranian statement was false.
“The IRGC is not only peddling recycled lies, but they are contradicting these lies with more lies,” CENTCOM said on the social media platform X, adding that the carrier strike group continues to “dominate Iranian airspace from the sea.”
🚫 The IRGC is again claiming they've rendered the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) inoperable. This is after they've previously claimed to have destroyed it multiple times.
✅ The IRGC is not only peddling recycled lies, but they are contradicting these lies with more lies. To be… pic.twitter.com/jT9K9v7Df2
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 14, 2026
Civilian Casualties in Western Iran
Meanwhile, US-Israeli strikes caused civilian casualties in western Iran. The deputy governor of Ilam province said six members of one family were killed after a residential building in the city of Iwan was targeted.
The victims included an infant, according to Iranian officials.
Further strikes were reported in East Azerbaijan province, where two industrial facilities west of Tabriz were hit. Authorities said several military sites on the outskirts of the city were also targeted.
Five civilians were injured in the attacks, officials said.
Iran Says 112 Drones Shot Down
Iranian officials also reported intercepting multiple drones. A spokesperson for Khatam al-Anbiya headquarters, quoted by Tasnim News Agency, said Iranian air defenses shot down several MQ-9 drones.
Two drones were destroyed in Firouzabad and Bandar Abbas, while another was shot down over Tabriz, the report said.
Iranian officials said air defenses have destroyed 112 drones of various types – combat, reconnaissance and suicide drones – since the beginning of the war.
In a separate statement cited by Iranian media, the IRGC said it has carried out large-scale attacks since the war began: “We have carried out attacks on 60 strategic targets and 500 American and Israeli military targets since the beginning of the war, using more than 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.”
The statement did not provide details about the types of drones used or the exact number of missiles.
Iranian officials also warned that any attack on Iranian energy infrastructure would trigger retaliation against energy infrastructure linked to US interests across the region.
Rocket, Drone Attacks Hit US Embassy in Baghdad, No Air Defense Sirens Heard
US Aircraft Damaged in Iranian Strike
Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal, citing two US officials, reported that five US Air Force refueling aircraft were damaged during an Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
The officials said the aircraft were damaged but not completely destroyed and are currently being repaired. No casualties were reported.
The report said at least seven US refueling aircraft have now been damaged or destroyed since the war began.
Earlier this week, two KC-135 refueling aircraft collided, causing one of the planes to crash. The Pentagon confirmed all six crew members were killed in the incident.
(Al-Jazeera, Tasnim news agency, Fars news agency, Wall Street Journal, CENTCOM)
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