Three US military personnel killed, five seriously wounded; US CENTCOM rejects Iran's claim of hitting USS Abraham Lincoln

The US military confirmed on Sunday that three service members were killed in action and five were seriously wounded during ongoing operations against Iran.

CENTCOM Update

TAMPA, Fla. – As of 9:30 am ET, March 1, three US service members have been killed in action and five are seriously wounded as part of Operation Epic Fury.

According to a statement released by US Central Command, several other personnel sustained minor shrapnel injuries and concussions but are already in the process of being returned to duty. The command emphasised that "major combat operations continue and our response effort is ongoing."

Due to the fluid nature of the situation and out of respect for the families involved, the military is currently withholding the identities of the fallen service members.

"The situation is fluid, so out of respect for the families, we will withhold additional information, including the identities of our fallen warriors, until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified," the statement added.

Simultaneously, Iran's Revolutionary Guard claims to have targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Gulf. This escalation follows the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in recent US and Israeli airstrikes.

In a statement carried by local media, the Guard asserted that "the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln was struck by four ballistic missiles," adding a warning that "the land and sea will increasingly become the graveyard of the terrorist aggressors."

However, US Central Command has denied any damage to the aircraft carrier.

"The Lincoln was not hit. The missiles launched didn't even come close. The Lincoln continues to launch aircraft in support of CENTCOM's relentless campaign to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime," the Central Command statement said.

The USS Abraham Lincoln has been operating in the Arabian Sea since late January. While the US military has confirmed the three fatalities mentioned above, there has been no immediate confirmation of specific damage or casualties resulting from the alleged strike on the carrier.

In another development, the US military said it sank an Iranian ship in the Gulf of Oman. The Jamaran-class corvette "is currently sinking to the bottom of the Gulf of Oman at a Chah Bahar pier," CENTCOM said, referring to a location in southern Iran.