Resolution Criteria

The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is currently deployed to the Middle East, with the resolution deadline of March 31, 2026. This market resolves YES if the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) sustains battle damage caused directly by Iranian military forces before that date. Battle damage is defined as physical harm to the ship's hull, systems, or equipment resulting from direct attack by Iranian military assets (including but not limited to missiles, drones, naval vessels, or artillery). Damage must be confirmed by official U.S. Navy statements or credible military reporting. Minor damage from defensive countermeasures or accidental contact does not qualify. The market resolves NO if the ship reaches March 31, 2026 without sustaining such damage.

Background

In January 2026, following protests and massacres in Iran, along with growing tension between Iran and the US, the carrier was reported heading to the Middle East. Tensions between Iran and the United States have intensified amid Iran's ongoing crackdown on nationwide protests against the Iranian government. On 13 January, Iranian officials warned they were "ready for war" after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened potential military action.

On February 3, 2026, while the USS Abraham Lincoln was traveling in the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran's southern coast, an Iranian Shahed-139 drone maneuvered toward the ship, leading to an F-35 U.S. fighter jet shooting it down. On 28 February 2026, this culminated in a series of joint military strikes in Iran by the United States and Israel.

Considerations

Iran has built a layered anti-access strategy centered on mines, submarines, anti-ship missiles, swarm craft, and air defenses to complicate any U.S. campaign in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters. Iranian Armed Forces General Staff-affiliated outlet Defa Press claimed on January 29 that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy deployed "hundreds of fast, missile-launching, and support vessels in close proximity" to the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. However, the U.S. military maintains overwhelming superiority across manpower, defense budget, air power, land forces, naval capabilities, and global logistics, supported by advanced technology, strategic alliances, and unmatched financial resources.

This description was generated by AI.