• The claim that seven U.S. Navy personnel died in a brawl on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is still under investigation, although there's no credible evidence the alleged incident occurred.
• The rumor stems from a report from Iranian state-owned Mehr News Agency, which cited another Iranian media outlet, Tasnim News Agency, that cited anonymous sources.
• A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command said the reports were false.
• We have left the story unrated because the Iranian reports did not include enough concrete details for us to fully investigate the claim. We will update this story if further information emerges.

In August 2026, a rumor spread online that seven U.S. Navy personnel died in a brawl aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier on an extended deployment due to the war in Iran.

The claim circulated on YouTube and Facebook. Snopes readers contacted us to ask if the rumor was "true or phony."

According to U.S. Central Command, however, "These reports are false."

"As we have continuously seen, Iran continues to spread lies and false information," Emma Thompson, Central Command spokesperson, said in an email to Snopes.

This rumor originated with Iranian media, which cited anonymous sources, making it impossible for us to retrace their work. While there are credible reports of low morale and thwarted suicide attempts on the USS Abraham Lincoln, reputable news sources have not corroborated whether Iranian media accurately reported on the alleged...

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