Iran Claims New Anti-Ship Missile Detonated Over USS George Washington

On September 20, 2026, Iranian Supreme National Security Council Secretary Major General Mohsen Rezaei claimed that a new Iranian anti-ship ballistic missile detonated directly over the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington during a September 5 engagement. The assertion, broadcast on Iranian state television and Al Jazeera, marks Tehran's most specific claim of a near-miss against a nuclear-powered supercarrier since the current conflict began.[4]

U.S. Central Command previously acknowledged the September 5 incident, confirming that the USS George Washington and an accompanying guided-missile destroyer "successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks." The Pentagon reported no American casualties or damage to the vessels, and Navy officials have maintained that the carrier strike group's layered defensive systems functioned as designed.[5][6]

Defense analysts indicate the weapon employed was likely the Qasem Basir, a medium-range anti-ship ballistic missile with an estimated 1,200-kilometer range. According to Rezaei, the missile was armed with a cluster munition warhead designed to maximize surface damage to the carrier's flight deck and exposed aircraft. While the U.S. maintains the ships evaded the strike, Rezaei characterized the operation as a successful demonstration of Iran's ability to penetrate American naval defenses.[4][5]

Rezaei used the broadcast to issue a broader set of unverified military claims, asserting that Iranian forces have inflicted severe damage on U.S. assets. He stated that Tehran is currently reverse-engineering a captured American surveillance submarine capable of operating at extreme depths, and claimed Iranian air defenses had shot down an American F-35 fighter jet and an airborne early warning aircraft.[1]

The timing of the announcement aligns with a broader Iranian diplomatic offensive aimed at regional neighbors. During the same interviews, Rezaei warned Gulf states against cooperating with a U.S. plan to restrict Iranian aviation, threatening that any country denying airspace to Iranian flights would see its own airports targeted. The Institute for the Study of War assessed that Rezaei's rhetoric is designed to sow divisions between Washington and its Arab allies while cementing Iran's leverage over the Strait of Hormuz.[4]

The USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East in August to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln, which had completed a record nine-month deployment earlier in 2026. Carrying approximately 5,000 personnel and 90 aircraft, the carrier serves as the centerpiece of the U.S. military's tactical operations in the region, launching nighttime sorties to maintain an economic blockade and shield commercial vessels from Iranian and Houthi strikes.[6]

The introduction of anti-ship ballistic missiles into the maritime conflict compresses warning times for U.S. naval commanders. Unlike traditional cruise missiles, ballistic trajectories require rapid, layered interception calculations. "We have a variety of ways to protect, both offensively and defensively, a Navy ship, and we employ all these methods," Capt. Nicholas Deleo, commanding officer of the George Washington, told reporters following the initial attacks.[5][6]

The competing narratives highlight the difficulty of verifying tactical outcomes in the contested waters of the Middle East. While Washington insists its defensive umbrella remains intact, Tehran is leveraging the mere proximity of its missiles to project deterrence. The next phase of the naval standoff will likely hinge on whether U.S. forces can sustain carrier operations within striking range of Iran's expanding ballistic arsenal without absorbing a direct hit.[4][5]