US warships on Khamenei’s radar: Does Iran really have missile power to destroy aircraft carriers?

As tensions spike between Washington and Tehran, the U.S. is deploying major naval assets to the Middle East, including the aircraft carriers USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, while Iran conducts drills with Russia and issues fresh threats. President Donald Trump has renewed pressure on Tehran even as diplomacy hangs in the balance, and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned U.S. carriers could be targeted. Iran’s layered arsenal of cruise and anti-ship ballistic missiles poses risks, but sinking a U.S. carrier remains highly unlikely. Even a limited strike, however, could trigger devastating regional escalation.