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Iran says it fired missiles at the USS George Washington, one of the US Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, in the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims the strike forced the carrier to reposition, a narrative Iranian state media has been pushing aggressively. The Pentagon’s version of events is considerably less dramatic: no US ships were hit, no damage sustained, no casualties reported.
What Iran says happened
According to Iranian state outlets including Fars News Agency and IRNA, the IRGC launched ballistic missiles targeting US Navy warships operating near the Strait of Hormuz. The primary target was the USS George Washington (CVN-73), a Nimitz-class carrier that has been deployed to the Arabian Sea since August 2026.
The September 5, 2026 incident reportedly involved missiles fired at two US warships, not just the George Washington. Iranian coverage painted the launches as a direct response to what Tehran views as an illegal naval blockade of its shipping lanes, an operation the US military has branded “Project Freedom.”
What the Pentagon says actually happened
US Central Command has been unambiguous in its response. CENTCOM stated that no US Navy ships have been struck, maintaining that forces in the region successfully evaded the incoming missiles. The command reported zero damage and zero casualties from the September 5 launches.
On the same day, American forces struck three Iranian crude oil tankers. Those vessels were reportedly permanently disabled or destroyed.
CENTCOM has emphasized that naval operations in the region continue without disruption.
The bigger picture in the Strait of Hormuz
The USS George Washington arrived in the Arabian Sea in August 2026 to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had been the primary carrier presence during an earlier phase of rising tensions. The broader conflict has been ongoing since February 28, 2026, following a series of US and Israeli strikes on Iranian interests.
Project Freedom, the US naval blockade targeting Iranian shipping, has been the proximate cause of Tehran’s escalation. From Iran’s perspective, the blockade is an act of economic warfare that justifies a military response. From Washington’s perspective, it is an enforcement mechanism for sanctions policy.
This is not the first time in 2026 that Iranian state media has claimed successful strikes against US naval assets. Earlier reports from IRGC-affiliated outlets made similar assertions about missile launches targeting American carriers, and in each case CENTCOM issued categorical denials.
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