CNN investigates: A viral video of the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln being damaged was created with artificial intelligence

Social media accounts promoted a video clip, claiming that it included damage to the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, in light of the exchange of strikes between the United States and Iran last night.

The video depicts what appears to be an aircraft carrier on fire, with smoke rising, and small rescue and firefighting boats surrounding it in the water.

She described the video posts, saying, "Iran launched ballistic missiles targeting the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. We are awaiting official confirmation from US Department of Defense officials."

CNN Arabic's investigation revealed that the video was created by generative artificial intelligence, to promote misleading information and stimulate interaction with it.

When analyzing the video visually, indicators can be observed that it belongs to the category of AI-generated content.

For example, the movement of fire and smoke appears unnatural, in addition to the structural structure of the aircraft carrier and the surrounding ships lacking the true features of warships, with distortions.

The results of examining the video through the Hive moderation tool, which is responsible for auditing artificial intelligence content, supported her conclusion, as it showed that the content tends to be generated by artificial intelligence by 98.9%.

Using a reverse search, we found that the fake video first appeared in an Instagram post dated August 14, 2025.

The publishing account (nakroos) noted in the video description, “This shot looks very realistic, but believe me, it is completely generated by artificial intelligence. I am just experimenting with creating amazing, incredible shots that simulate real disasters, but they are all made with artificial intelligence. I do not want to lie to you, so I am always honest with you.”

Besides the fact that the US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has begun its return voyage to the United States, according to an informed source. This comes after the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to the Middle East.

The carrier spent a long period at sea during the war with Iran, which raised concerns among lawmakers and military families after reports emerged of the deteriorating psychological state of the crew and conditions on board. The carrier arrived in the Middle East in January. Its combat efforts have prevented it from docking in any port since the outbreak of war.

The carrier "Lincoln" is expected to dock in Thailand in the coming days, according to several news reports.

The video returned to circulation as the United States and Iran exchanged strikes in the latest escalation between the two sides, after more than a month of tension-filled calm.

An American official said that the US military targeted two Iranian missile launchers on Lark Island, after observing Iranian forces preparing to launch missiles equipped with sea mines towards the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded by launching strikes targeting two American air bases in Jordan, at a time when the White House confirms that there are no ongoing talks between the two countries.