Fog of War in the Gulf of Oman: What Really Happened to the USS Abraham Lincoln?

The situation in the area of ​​responsibility of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has reached a critical point. Over the past 48 hours, the global information space has been filled with radically opposing reports about the fate of the nuclear aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) . While Iranian officials claim a “devastating blow,” the US defense department insists the ship is completely intact.

Tehran statements: “Direct hit”

The conflict entered the phase of active information warfare after an official statement by representatives of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), xrust states. According to the agency Tasnim , as part of the large-scale Operation True Promise 4, the Iranian military used combined tactics: swarms of kamikaze drones and medium-range ballistic missiles.

The Iranian side insists on specifics: it is alleged that the aircraft carrier received heavy damage to the deck and superstructures , which made takeoff and landing impossible carrier-based aircraft F-35C. According to Tehran, the US strike group was forced to urgently change course and begin withdrawing from the Gulf of Oman at “high speed.”

Pentagon position: “No strikes recorded”

A Pentagon official during a briefing on March 12 categorically denied information about damage. According to the US position, the air defense systems of the carrier strike group intercepted all targets at a safe distance.

The only confirmed incident was contact with an Iranian patrol vessel that came dangerously close to the carrier's warrant. In response, US helicopters fired Hellfire missiles, destroying the threat. “The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln continues to perform its missions as usual. Any reports of its damage are pure propaganda,” CENTCOM said.

Analysis of satellite images from March 11 and 12

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG7__ To verify the parties’ claims, independent analysts turned to civilian satellite monitoring data. High-resolution images obtained from the European agency (Sentinel-2) and commercial operators give the following picture:

1. Image from March 11: The aircraft carrier is located in the northern part of the Arabian Sea. There is a lot of activity on deck and no signs of smoke or thermal damage were found.
2. Snapshot from March 12 (morning): The ship is in motion. On digital photos at maximum magnification there are no holes, deformation of the “island” (superstructure) or damage to the runway surface .

Visual analysis shows that the geometry of the ship’s hull and superstructure is identical to photographs taken before the start of the escalation. No characteristic stains from fire extinguishing or the work of repair crews on the open deck were recorded.

Social networks and AI disinformation

class=»notranslate»>__GTAG14__ Videos massively distributed on social networks allegedly depicting the burning USS Abraham Lincoln added fuel to the fire. However, cybersecurity experts and AFP fact-checkers have already classified these frames as deepfakes created using neural networks. In the video, the physics of smoke propagation is violated, and the deck configuration does not correspond to the real drawing of the Nimitz-class ship.

What's next?

Despite the lack of visual evidence of damage, the situation remains explosive. Iran is demonstrating its readiness for direct confrontation with the US fleet, and Washington is increasing the presence of missile defense forces in the region. The USS Abraham Lincoln remains the prime target in this geopolitical game where information sometimes hits harder than missiles.

Xrust Fog of war in the Gulf of Oman: what really happened to the USS Abraham Lincoln?