00:23What if a single missile launched from the
00:27coastline, or even from underwater, could threaten a U.S. aircraft carrier thousands
00:32of kilometers away?
00:35Iran says it now has exactly that, and it's called the Abu Mahdi.
00:44In a move that's raising eyebrows from the Pentagon to the Arabian Sea, Iran has accelerated
00:50deployment of its long-range anti-ship cruise missile, a weapon designed specifically to
00:56target large naval vessels.
00:58Some analysts are calling it a serious expansion of Iran's anti-access strategy.
01:06So what makes this missile different, and could it really threaten U.S. warships?
01:11Let's break it down.
01:12The Abu Mahdi is a long-range turbojet-powered subsonic cruise missile developed by Iran.
01:19It was unveiled in 2020 alongside the Haj Qasem missile.
01:24Named after Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Iraqi militia commander killed in a 2020 U.S. drone
01:30strike alongside Qasem Soleimani, the missile carries symbolic weight as well as military
01:36significance.
01:37Here's where things get serious.
01:40Iran claims the Abu Mahdi missile has over 1,000 km range for the standard version, up
01:48to 2,600 km for a submarine-launched variant, a 410 kg high-explosive warhead, sea-skimming
01:57flight at ultra-low altitude, dual radar and infrared guidance.
02:04Sea-skimming means it flies just meters above the water, making radar detection extremely
02:10difficult.
02:11And if Iran's claims are accurate, the missile can adjust its path mid-flight to evade defenses.
02:17That's a big deal when your target is a multi-billion dollar aircraft carrier.
02:25The U.S. Navy operates carrier strike groups in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea.
02:30One of those carriers has included ships like the USS Abraham Lincoln, floating cities with
02:37thousands of personnel on board.
02:39If a missile with a 2,600 km range can be launched from underwater, it dramatically expands
02:46Iran's reach.
02:47It pushes the threat envelope far beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
02:51And that forces U.S. planners to rethink positioning, detection and missile defense layers.
02:59Iran knows it cannot match the U.S. Navy ship for ship, so instead it focuses on asymmetric
03:06warfare.
03:07Now here's the important part.
03:09The claims are not the same as combat performance.
03:13U.S. carrier strike groups are protected by Aegis missile defense systems, layered radar networks,
03:20electronic warfare capabilities, and escort destroyers and cruisers.
03:25Hitting a moving aircraft carrier in open water is incredibly difficult.
03:29But even the possibility changes strategic calculations.
03:33Because modern naval warfare isn't about who fires first, it's about who detects first.
03:42So is the Abu Mahdi a true carrier killer?
03:45Or is it part of a broader psychological and deterrent strategy?
03:49One thing is certain.
03:50Iran is investing heavily in long-range precision strike capabilities.
03:55And in today's world, a single missile, if it gets through, can reshape geopolitics overnight.
04:20While you are going to be sick!
04:20We'll be back again.
04:21And we'll be back again!
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