The US military said it struck Iran’s largest naval warship following the launch of Trump’s ‘Operation Epic Fury.’
US Central Command also rebuked Iranian leadership for falsely claiming it had sunk an American aircraft carrier in the Gulf.
‘The Iranian regime’s false messaging machine continues to falsely claim that it has sunk a US aircraft carrier. The only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri, an Iranian drone carrier,’ the US Central Command said.
‘US forces struck the ship within hours of launching Operation Epic Fury.’
Tehran reportedly used the IRIS Shahid Bagheri as a launching pad for drone attacks against US military base and Gulf allies following the death of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
US military forces previously sunk 11 naval ships operated by Tehran in the Gulf of Oman since the start of the war. The extent of damage inflicted on the Iranian ship remains unclear.
But the strike on Iran’s warship further underscores the blow dealt to the country’s naval power by U.S. and Israeli forces.
Iran has falsely claimed that hundreds of US troops were killed in retaliatory strikes. US Central Command, however, says four service members have died and 18 others were injured from strikes by Iran.
President Trump warned Americans to brace for more bloodshed and in an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail warned that the conflict could last up to four weeks.
‘It’s always been a four-week process. We figured it will be four weeks or so. It’s always been about a four-week process so – as strong as it is, it’s a big country, it’ll take four weeks – or less,’ Trump said.
The Iranian warship began as a commercial ship but was converted into a deadly drone launch pad in 2022.
The ship is operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy and serves as a hub for Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles and helicopters.
A 180-meter flight deck was later added to the carrier, with images showing it carrying UAVs, helicopters, and medium-range air defense systems.
Pentagon leaders said on Monday morning that the weekend operation against Iran started with an unprecedented 100-aircraft ‘wave’ was unleashed by land and sea.
Meanwhile, three F-15 fighter jets being shot down by Kuwait in a friendly fire incident on Monday morning.
Footage in Kuwait captured the moment the $90million US planes fell from the sky in a cloud of smoke.
Kuwait’s Defence Ministry said crews are safe after the crashes this morning, which saw at least two pilots eject from their planes near a US military base in Kuwait.
A US Central Command (CENTCOM) official confirmed that American military aircraft were ‘downed’ in Kuwait on Monday morning, as an Iraqi pro-militia outlet shared footage of a US pilot after ejecting from his aircraft in Kuwait City.
A clear timetable for ending the war has not been outlined by the Trump administration.
