A U.S. Navy vessel opened fire on an Iranian ship that approached dangerously close to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea this week, according to two U.S. officials briefed on the matter. The officials spoke to CBS News on condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly.
The confrontation unfolded when the Iranian vessel closed in on the carrier strike group. A U.S. surface ship responded first with its 5-inch, 54-caliber Mark-45 naval gun, a fully automated deck-mounted cannon standard on American destroyers and cruisers since the 1970s. The gun fired multiple rounds but missed the target several times. It remains unclear whether the shots were intended as warnings or precision strikes aimed at disabling the vessel.â Cbsnews
After the cannon fire failed to deter or hit the Iranian ship, U.S. forces launched a military helicopter armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The helicopter successfully struck the vessel with two missiles. The current condition of the Iranian ship and the fate of its crew are unknown, with no immediate details released on casualties or damage.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, a Nimitz-class supercarrier, has been operating in the Arabian Sea as part of ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran. It is accompanied by destroyers including the USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy, with additional guided-missile destroyers in the area. The helicopter involved was likely an MH-60R Seahawk, the Navyâs versatile multi-mission rotorcraft capable of anti-surface warfare, though an AH-1Z Viper from the Marines could also carry Hellfires. Officials have not specified the exact aircraft used.â Cbsnews
U.S. Central Command offered no comment when contacted by CBS News, responding only with, âWe have nothing for you on this.â Such restraint is typical in active conflict zones, where operational security and reviews often delay public statements.
This incident fits a pattern of escalating naval tensions. In early February, an Iranian Shahed-139 drone aggressively approached the Lincoln and was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet. The carrier strike group arrived in the region in late January, described by President Trump as part of a major âarmadaâ to project strength amid rising hostilities with Tehran. Since the start of open U.S. operations against Iran, American forces have reportedly damaged or destroyed more than 90 Iranian naval vessels, highlighting the intensity of maritime engagements.
The Mark-45 gun, capable of engaging surface and air targets with various ammunition types at up to 20 rounds per minute, is prized for its automation and reliability. Misses in this case could stem from the Iranian vesselâs speed, sea state, or maneuvering tactics common in asymmetric âswarmâ approaches. Switching to Hellfire missilesâprecision-guided weapons originally designed for armor but highly effective against small boatsâprovided a more accurate and lethal option once the gun engagement proved ineffective.
The Arabian Sea has become a high-stakes theater where split-second decisions by naval commanders carry significant diplomatic and tactical weight. For U.S. planners, such encounters test rules of engagement and the risk of miscalculation. For sailors aboard the Lincoln and its escorts, they underscore the persistent dangers in a region where Iranian forces continue probing American presence.
As of now, neither the U.S. nor Iran has issued an official public statement on this specific incident. Tehran has routinely condemned U.S. actions in the area since hostilities began. The broader conflict, which erupted in late February 2026, continues to see sustained operations, though details of individual engagements often remain limited.
This latest event illustrates the fragile balance in the waters off Iranâs coast, where close approaches by Iranian vessels can rapidly escalate into direct kinetic action. The status of the struck ship remains unconfirmed, leaving questions about escalation risks unanswered for now.
