Military tensions in the Middle East are rising as Iran claims it fired cruise missiles targeting a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier.
On the 25th (local time), Iran's state television said the Iranian military, in a statement, announced it had fired several of its navy's Qader ship-to-ship cruise missiles toward the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. Iran said, "In response to the missile threat, the carrier changed its position."
The Qader missile is an anti-ship cruise missile that Iran upgraded and developed based on Chinese technology, and it is known to have a range of about 300 km.
Chief of Staff Sharam Irani warned, "We are monitoring the movements of the carrier strike group 24 hours a day," adding, "We will deliver a powerful strike the moment the hostile fleet enters range."
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the parliament speaker who is cited as a potential counterpart in talks with the United States, also wrote on X the same day, saying, "We are closely watching U.S. military movements in the Middle East," and, "Do not test the will to defend our territory."
Iran's hard-line response appears to stem from the recent ramp-up of U.S. troop deployments to the Middle East. The U.S. Marine Corps' 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is moving via the USS Tripoli and USS New Orleans, and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit is also heading to the Middle East aboard the USS Boxer.
In addition, the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division combat brigade has reportedly received deployment orders. If a force of 7,000 troops assembles, some say it could swiftly seize strategic chokepoints in the Gulf, including Iran's Kharg Island and Abu Musa Island.