A U.S. Navy helicopter fired Hellfire missiles at an Iranian vessel in the Arabian Sea this week after the ship sailed dangerously close to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and deck-gun fire failed to stop it, two U.S. officials briefed on the incident told CBS News.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, said an American warship first engaged the approaching vessel with its 5-inch, 54-caliber Mark-45 naval gun. The automated deck cannon, a standard weapon on U.S. destroyers and cruisers since the 1970s, missed several times. It was not clear whether those rounds were intended as warning shots or as an attempt to disable the ship.
A helicopter was then launched and struck the Iranian vessel with two Hellfire missiles. The condition of the ship and the fate of its crew have not been released. U.S. officials have not reported casualties.
**Ships and aircraft involved**
The Abraham Lincoln has been operating in the Arabian Sea as the centerpiece of a carrier strike group that includes the destroyers USS Spruance and USS Michael Murphy. At least six other guided-missile destroyers were in the region last week. Officials have not identified which ship fired the Mark-45.
Analysts say two helicopter types in the theater can carry Hellfires: the Navy’s MH-60R Seahawk, built for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, and the Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper. Officials have not said which aircraft conducted the strike.
CBS News asked U.S. Central Command for comment. A defense official replied only, “We have nothing for you on this.” The Pentagon had issued no confirmation or denial at the time of the report.
**Part of a wider naval campaign**
The clash fits a months-long pattern of confrontations in the Arabian Sea and nearby waters. In early February, U.S. Central Command said an Iranian Shahed-139 drone “aggressively” approached the Lincoln and “unnecessarily maneuvered” toward the carrier. An American fighter jet shot the drone down weeks before open conflict between the United States and Iran began.
The Lincoln strike group arrived in the region in late January. President Donald Trump publicly described the deployment as an “armada.” Since U.S. operations against Iran began, Central Command has said American forces have damaged or destroyed more than 90 Iranian naval vessels.
The Lincoln is one of two U.S. aircraft carriers now in the Middle East — a rare dual-carrier presence that military planners treat as both a combat asset and a strategic signal.
**What remains unknown**
The Mark-45’s missed shots raise unanswered questions about range, sea state, the Iranian ship’s speed and the rules of engagement. The subsequent use of Hellfires — laser- or radar-guided missiles originally designed for armor but now used against ships and other targets — suggests commanders wanted a precise follow-up after the gun failed.
Neither Washington nor Tehran has issued a formal public account of this week’s incident. Iran has condemned U.S. operations in the region since the conflict began but has not specifically addressed this clash.
For U.S. commanders, the episode underscores how quickly close approaches at sea can turn into live fire. For sailors aboard the Lincoln and her escorts, it is a reminder that the Arabian Sea is now an active combat theater, where decisions measured in seconds can reshape a widening naval war.
