US Submarine Sinks Iranian Warship in Indian Ocean
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. He stated that the vessel was struck by a torpedo on Tuesday and died a "quiet death". The specific name of the ship was not disclosed by Hegseth at the time of his announcement.
Following this, Sri Lanka reported that its navy had responded to a distress call on Wednesday morning from an Iranian ship named the Iris Dena, which had sunk approximately 40km (25 miles) off Sri Lanka's southern coast.
Rescue operations recovered eighty bodies from the frigate, according to a Sri Lankan defence official speaking to BBC Sinhala. The Sri Lankan navy confirmed that another 32 individuals were rescued from the incident.
Iranian Response and Casualty Details
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the incident, stating that the US had "perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran's shores."
"Frigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning," he wrote in a post on X early on Thursday.
"Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set."
A Sri Lankan navy spokesman indicated that approximately 180 people were believed to have been aboard the Iris Dena, based on the ship's documentation.
The survivors were reported to be "seriously injured" and were transported to a hospital in the southern port city of Galle, according to Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.
Details from US and Sri Lankan Officials
At a news conference on Wednesday, Hegseth stated that a US submarine had sunk an Iranian warship "that thought it was safe in international waters." He further claimed this was "the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two."
While this marks the first time since 1945 that an American submarine has sunk an enemy ship using a torpedo, it is noted that the UK and Pakistan have sunk vessels with torpedoes in the intervening years.
The US Department of Defense released video footage showing a ship being struck by a torpedo, causing the stern to rise before an explosion occurred.
Earlier, Sri Lankan navy spokesman Budhika Sampath dismissed reports that the Iris Dena had been attacked by a submarine. He explained that at the time rescue operations commenced, rescuers had not sighted the vessel or any other ships in the area but observed oil patches and life rafts floating on the water.
"Though the ship's location was beyond our waters," Sampath said, "it was within our search and rescue region. So we were obliged to respond as per international obligations."
Background on the Iris Dena
First launched in 2015, the Iris Dena is a destroyer attached to Iran's Southern Fleet, which is responsible for deployments in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
The ship had recently participated in the International Fleet Review 2026, a military exercise hosted by India.
Regional Conflict Context
The sinking of the Iris Dena occurs amid ongoing hostilities, with the US and Israel conducting air strikes on Iran for a fifth consecutive day. The Israeli military reported hitting "security headquarters" across Tehran on Wednesday.
Israel has also launched air strikes in Lebanon and deployed ground forces in southern Lebanon following rocket and drone attacks by the armed group Hezbollah.
Iran appears to have continued retaliatory actions, with new strikes reported in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on Wednesday. Additionally, Turkey stated that "Nato defences" intercepted an Iranian missile headed toward Turkish territory.
Sri Lanka's Position and Reactions
Sri Lanka has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict, refraining from taking sides and calling for "restraint and immediate de-escalation" from all parties involved.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath paid tribute to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei following his assassination on Saturday.
A government spokesman later announced that Sri Lanka would issue a formal message of condolence regarding all deaths resulting from the conflict, including Iranian state leaders and officials who have been killed.
