According to the Navy's statement, the incident occurred while ground crew members were towing the aircraft inside the Aircraft carrier's hangar bay and lost control of the jet. As a result, both the aircraft and the towing vehicle plunged into the sea. One sailor sustained minor injuries.

The Navy said the crew members managed to quickly move out of the aircraft's path before it fell into the water. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation.

The Navy emphasized that the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and its air wing continue to operate at full operational capacity.

Since the US began its campaign against the Houthis on March 15, it has lost more than 20 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), either shot down by the Houthis or due to technical malfunctions.

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With a crew of 5,000 and seven squadrons, this is the vessel designed to deter Iran from attacking Israel: the American aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln," which arrived in the Middle East late Wednesday night, is essentially a large airbase housing four combat squadrons and three additional squadrons dedicated to transport, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare.

To put it into perspective, the sheer combat capability of the "Abraham Lincoln", on her own, is larger and more advanced than that of the entire Jordanian Air Force. The carrier is also equipped with anti-aircraft missiles, other air defense systems, and anti-ship missiles.

The "Abraham Lincoln" serves as the home for three squadrons of F-18 "Hornet" aircraft, the primary fighter-bomber of the U.S. Navy. Additionally, it includes a squadron of EA-18G "Growler" aircraft, a model adapted for electronic warfare.

Video: USS Abraham Lincoln.

But the crown jewel of the carrier's capabilities is the "Black Knights" squadron, which operates the stealth F-35C fighter jets, specially modified for deployment from the aircraft carrier's deck.

This is the first F-35 squadron to be stationed on an aircraft carrier and has been active on the "Abraham Lincoln" since 2020. The squadron itself boasts a long history and a proud legacy dating back to World War II, and it is considered the pride of the U.S. Navy's air division.

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The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the oldest aircraft carriers in the US Navy's fleet, continues its operations in the Red Sea, undeterred by the repeated false claims of Yemen's Houthi rebels that they have hit or even sunk the vessel.

According to The Associated Press, the Houthis and online accounts supporting them have repeatedly alleged striking or sinking the carrier as it leads the US response to the rebels' ongoing attacks targeting commercial vessels and warships in the crucial Red Sea waterway.

"I think it's been about two or three times in the past six months we've allegedly been sunk, which we have not been," Captain Christopher "Chowdah" Hill, the carrier's commanding officer, told AP during a recent visit to the ship. "It is almost comical at this point. They're attempting to maybe inspire themselves through misinformation, but it doesn't work on us."

In an effort to counter the Houthi claims, the Navy has allowed journalists to visit the Eisenhower and witness its operations firsthand. During their stay, the journalists explored the nuclear-powered ship's 1,092-foot (332-meter) length and observed its flight deck operations, with no visible signs of damage or distress.

Benvenuto! #MightyIKE sails with the @ItalianNavy ITS Virginio Fasan (F 591) during a transit in the Atlantic Ocean while participating in composite unit training exercise (COMPTUEX). #WeLikeIKE #GreaterEachDay pic.twitter.com/aSKzo36o9X

— USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) (@TheCVN69) July 9, 2023

"Other than rust on its side from the hot, humid Red Sea air and water apparently leaking from a pipe in a dining room, the ship appeared no worse for wear," AP reported. "Its flight deck bore no blast damage or gaping holes, just the stink of jet fuel, pooled puddles of oily water, and the scream of engines before its F/A-18 fighter jets took flight."

In addition to allowing media access, Hill has been actively engaging in an information warfare campaign of his own through social media. "The whole intent of the social media outreach was to connect with families, to bring them closer to the ship. So if I can post pictures of sons and daughters, husbands and wives out here, or even fathers and mothers, get it out there, it just kind of brings the family closer to us. And again, that's our support network. But it also took on another role because everyone else was watching to see what we're doing."

"We're going to celebrate 'Taco Tuesdays' because it's my absolute favorite day of the week. That will never end," the captain said. "If you call that an information warfare campaign, you can. It's just who I am, you know, at the end of the day." Hill's social media posts also often feature lighthearted content, such as images of the ship's support animal, a Labrador-golden retriever mix named Captain Demo.

Woof woof! Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads out there from your favorite furry friend, Capt. Demo! Today, I want to give a special shoutout to all the #MightyIKE dads who work hard to keep everyone smiling. You make every day paws-itively awesome. pic.twitter.com/RU63S0tLtR

— USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (IKE) (@TheCVN69) June 16, 2024

 Despite the Houthis' efforts to undermine morale, Lt. Joseph Hirl from Raleigh, North Carolina, expressed the seriousness with which the crew takes the combat situation, wearing a patch reading: "Go Navy, Beat Houthis."

The prolonged deployment, which has already been extended twice, and concerns over munitions availability remain challenges for the Eisenhower and its crew. However, Captain David Wroe, the commodore overseeing the guided missile destroyers escorting the carrier, acknowledged the need to use appropriate weapons against the Houthis' asymmetrical warfare tactics.

As the Eisenhower continues its patrol alongside the USS Philippine Sea, a cruiser, and two destroyers, Hill remains confident in his crew's readiness and his leadership approach. "I came to a realization at some point in my career that, one of the things that all humans require is to be loved and valued. So I shouldn't be afraid, as a leader, to try to love and value everybody," he said.

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But while Iran's ballistic and cruise missile programs were making headlines following Wednesday's brazen attack, Iran's most destructive response would be naval action in the Persian Gulf, both in terms of the American presence there and the world economy.

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The US comprehends the nature of the threat perfectly, and issued a rare warning to its ships in the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf about possible Iranian raids that could come as retaliation for Soleimani's death.

The warning is not theoretical: this past year, Iran has raided a few vessels, most notably the British Stena Impero, which was a response to a similar British action against an Iranian tanker that was bringing oil to Syria.

The West is also claiming that Iran was behind attacks at Fujairah Port, one of the most important oil shipping ports in the United Arab Emirates, as well as attacks on oil tankers in open waters. Tehran never claimed the attacks, but the US disseminated footage of the IRGC's navy returning to the scene of the incident, and it resonated. Iran's belligerent maritime actions peaked when it shot down a high-tech US drone over international waters last June.

'One strike is enough'

Iran's growing prowess at sea is more confusing than anything. Along with building advanced weaponry such as missile ships and submarines, the Iranians also maintain a huge fleet of small boats that it operates secretly.

"What is important to understand in terms of Iran's naval power is that it is in effect two separate forces," explains Ido Gilad, a research fellow at the Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center and the Chaikin Chair for Geostrategy at the University of Haifa.

"Alongside Iran's official navy, which has an impressive number [of vessels], even if some are outdated; there is the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' naval force. That is a secret force that maintains a large, unknown number of small vessels and submarines designed to carry out actions that are 'extra-governmental,' or actually terrorism," Gilad says.

That is one of the ideas for which Soleimani was noted – sophisticated, high-level operations in a number of arenas, thus allowing for many different types of actions and responses. Indeed, the IRGC's naval forces are believed to be behind most of Iran's maritime terrorist actions this past year. It also frequently serves to send Iranian threats to the US. In 2015, the IRGC conducted a military drill that simulated the attack and seizure of an American aircraft carrier, an unequivocal threat to one of the US' most valuable military assets.

Then-commander of the IRGC's naval forces, Admiral Ali Fadavi, bragged at the time that "American aircraft carriers are easy to sink … They are full of missiles, ammunition, jet fuel, and torpedoes. One strike is enough to set off a wave of secondary explosions," he said. Since then, Iran has repeated its threat against US aircraft carriers multiple times.

According to Professor Shaul Chorev, director of the Maritime Policy & Strategy Research Center, "It's very difficult to attack American aircraft carriers. There is definitely an element of braggadocio here. Aside from the planes and firepower it carries, that particular vessel is defended by an impressive group of [other] ships, submarines, and small boats.

"This doesn't eradicate the threat from the IRGC's naval forces. The US maintains an enormous navy - the Iranian navy doesn't come close to it, but the idea behind the IRGC's perception is to exact a price, to hurt, to deter conflict and escalation. Their tactics, such as using small missile-armed boats to confuse and attack larger ships; heavy use of surface-to-surface missiles and raiding vessels like they did the American patrol boat - these are operations that leave an impression and cost the enemy," Chorev explains.

No one wants to wake the sleeping giant

A maritime conflict in the Persian Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz, on any scale, is not merely a military question but also one of prestige for Iran and the US. Over 20 million barrels of oil pass through the Strait of Hormuz each day en route to the world's markets. Not only the national economies of local nations, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE depend on oil revenues - so does the world energy market. This makes any conflict in the Gulf, even a relatively small one, an international incident.

Nevertheless, Chorev thinks that there is a real chance Iran could opt to carry out a response in that region precisely because it is so exposed.

"The possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz or attacking some of the traffic there is definitely in Tehran's bank of responses. They might limit the extent of the closure or make some excuse for it or through a proxy force, without officially declaring it, like they have done in the past when raiding ships. It's not certain the US has a way of handling that scenario," Chorev observes.

Gilad, on the other hand, thinks that a complex operation to close the Strait of Hormuz, even temporarily, would mean Iran shooting itself in the foot. He says that Iran is dependent on its already-shrinking revenue from oil that passes through the strait, and that even a low-level conflict in the Gulf is the last thing Tehran needs.

Gilad sees Iran's actions in a different light.

"The maritime drill Iran conducted with China and Russia a couple of weeks ago, which caused an international storm, was aimed at not only showing that it was not diplomatically isolated but also that in cooperation with nations that have a clear interest in the region such as India, Russia, and China, it can ensure freedom of movement in the Gulf. They don't want to wake the 'American giant' at this stage," Gilad says.

Whether Tehran wants to calm the waters of the Gulf, or is preparing to relaunch its terrorist actions there, the maritime powder keg should worry leaders of the world at large, and leaders of the Persian Gulf region in particular.

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The report included footage apparently from a Guard drone that flew over the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and another U.S. warship in the Persian Gulf. The images show fighter planes parked on the carrier deck.

Tasnim did not say when the footage was shot.

The development comes after the U.S. government earlier this month designated the Guard as a terrorist group to increase pressure on Iran and further isolate the country. Iran responded by labeling all U.S. forces as terrorists.

Lt. Chloe J. Morgan, a U.S. Naval Forces Central Command spokesperson, said in an email that the Eisenhower has not been in the Persian Gulf since 2016. She said the U.S. and its allies are committed to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait, which sees nearly a third of all oil traded by sea pass through it, has been the scene of past confrontations between the U.S. and Iran, including a one-day naval battle in 1988.

In recent years, the U.S. Navy has accused Iranian patrol boats of harassing American warships in the waterway.

The drone that took the footage is an Ababil-3 with an eight-hour flight capability at 12,000 feet (3,658 meters) and a 250-kilometer (160-mile) range.

The Trump administration said Monday that it will no longer exempt any countries from U.S. sanctions if they continue to buy Iranian oil, stepping up pressure on Iran in a move that primarily affects the five remaining major importers: China and India and U.S. treaty allies Japan, South Korea and Turkey. The move is part of the administration's "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran that aims to eliminate all of its revenue from oil exports, which the U.S. says are used to destabilize the region.

Iran reiterated its long-running threat to close the Strait of Hormuz if it's prevented from using the crucial waterway in the Persian Gulf, through which about a third of all oil traded at sea passes.

In 2016, Iran's navy similarly took video footage of the nuclear-powered carrier USS Harry Truman, based in Norfolk, Virginia, while it was in the Persian Gulf region launching airstrikes and supporting operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

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