CLAIM

Viral video of American USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier struck by Iranian missiles

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a forensic analysis to assess the authenticity of the video and a keyword search to trace the original source.

Multiple pro-Iranian users have been sharing a video across social media platforms since March 17, 2026, claiming that it shows an Iranian missile attack on American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln amid the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. However, the clip is AI-generated.

Israel and the United States launched joint military strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, killing former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top officials. Tehran responded by launching strikes on US bases and other facilities in seven Gulf states and Israel.

As the conflict enters its 18th day, there has been no letup in attacks. On March 17, Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani and the commander of paramilitary force Basij, Gholamreza Soleimani, were assassinated in US-Israeli strikes.

HOW IT STARTED

On March 17, a Portuguese user on Instagram, who appears to be an Iranian supporter based on his past posts, shared a video allegedly showing American USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier being struck by an Iranian missile.

“A video circulating on social media shows a large warship in flames after a powerful explosion at sea. The scene raises questions about possible drone or missile attacks in areas of high international tension. Military ships, such as aircraft carriers, are strategic components of naval power and often operate in sensitive areas for force projection and defence. To date, there is no official confirmation of the authenticity of the images or the exact location of the incident, and experts warn of the large number of manipulated or AI-generated videos circulating during conflicts,” reads the caption of the post, which gathered 39,000 views.

The clip was also shared on X by a Turkish pro-Iranian user with the caption: “US warship struck by Iran’s missiles! Heavily damaged, USS Abraham Lincoln ship! returned to the US!”

The post garnered 669,000 views.

Another pro-Iranian user reshared the video with the caption: “Breaking – Circulating online: Reports circulating on social media claim that the US warship USS Abraham Lincoln was reportedly struck by Iranian missiles, sustaining heavy damage, before allegedly returning to U.S. waters, according to circulating.”

The post racked up 3.4 million views.

Similarly, the video was shared by several other users on X, as shown here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here; collectively gaining more than 292,000 views.

It was also shared on Facebook, as can be seen here and here, collectively gaining more than 70,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its virality and keen public interest in the US-Israel war with Iran.

Inspecting the viral clip revealed clear discrepancies in the structure of the aircraft carrier.

The bow of the vessel shown in the video appears rounded, whereas the real USS Abraham Lincoln has a distinctly sharper and more angular bow design.

The control tower on the real vessel is also situated towards the back while it can be seen closer to the front in the viral clip.

This mismatch in key structural features indicates that the vessel in the viral footage does not match the actual aircraft carrier.

Furthermore, the direction of smoke in the video is inconsistent, initially drifting to the right but abruptly moving to the left after the 16-second mark without any visible change in conditions.

Similarly, multiple distinct fires are visible in the first segment of the clip, but later only one large remains, with no trace of others, suggesting clear visual manipulation.

Additionally, debris and other objects are visible near the bow at the two-second mark, but by the 16-second mark, the same area appears completely clear, with no signs of wreckage.

Forensic analysis of the video, conducted to assess the authenticity of the video, showed that AI detection tools such as Hive Moderation flagged it as 73 per cent AI-generated.

Meanwhile, Sora Detect flagged it as 33pc AI-generated content.

Moreover, one of the posts that featured the video was labelled ‘Made with AI’ by X.

A keyword search was conducted to corroborate whether any credible mainstream international, Iranian or US news outlets had shared or reported on the video but yielded no results.

The search, however, led the team to a news report by Anadolu Agency, dated March 1, 2026, titled: “US denies Iranian claim USS Abraham Lincoln was struck by ballistic missiles”.

It stated that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had claimed to have targeted the carrier with four ballistic missiles, but the US Central Command denied the claims and termed them a “lie”.

Similar reports were carried by other media outlets as well, such as Express Tribune, Al Arabiya English and Middle East Monitor.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows the American USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier being struck by an Iranian missile is false.

The video is AI-generated.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES:

March 1, 2026, Express Tribune news article:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2595246/iran-says-it-targeted-us-aircraft-carrier-state-media-reports

March 1, 2026, AA news article:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-denies-iranian-claim-uss-abraham-lincoln-was-struck-by-ballistic-missiles/3845444