CLAIM: Iranian video: Footage of the burning American aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln hit by the Houthis.
VERDICT: The video shows the fire that broke out on the USS Bonhomme Richard on July 12, 2020, while it was docked at the San Diego naval base.
On November 18, 2024, the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln departed from the Middle East and entered the U.S. 7th Fleet’s area of operations, which is responsible for the Indo-Pacific region. On November 12, 2024, Houthi forces claimed to have conducted two separate attacks on U.S. warships. They alleged targeting the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea using cruise missiles and drones. They also reported attacking two U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles and drones.
The Pentagon confirmed that the destroyers USS Stockdale and USS Spruance were attacked by at least eight drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles, and three cruise missiles. All threats were successfully intercepted, with no damage or injuries reported. Regarding the USS Abraham Lincoln, Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Patrick Ryder stated that no attack on the aircraft carrier occurred, refuting the Houthis’ claims.
The video in question does not depict the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, but rather the fire that broke out on the American amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on July 12, 2020, while it was docked at the San Diego naval base for scheduled repairs.
The following videos were released by the U.S. Navy:
Left: Screenshot from the video in question. Right: Screenshot from the fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard from the U.S. Navy’s footage.
On November 30, 2020, it was decided to decommission the ship. Repairing it would have required five to seven years of work and $2.5 to $3.2 billion, a cost deemed excessive given that the USS Bonhomme Richard entered service in 1998. The USS Bonhomme Richard was sent to a dismantling yard to be scrapped in Brownsville, Texas, in May 2021.
Conclusion
The video shows the fire that broke out on the USS Bonhomme Richard on July 12, 2020, while it was docked at the San Diego naval base.