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U.S. Submarine Sinks Iranian Frigate Near Sri Lanka
A U.S. submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors and widening the conflict between the United States and Iran across the Indian Ocean.
Ship photo by Unsplash
A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors and significantly expanding Washington’s campaign against Iran’s naval forces amid the escalating regional conflict.
Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister identified the vessel as the frigate IRIS Dena and said the ship was returning to Iran from an eastern Indian port when it was struck.
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The attack occurred hundreds of miles across the Indian Ocean from the Persian Gulf, where U.S. and Israeli forces have been carrying out strikes on Iran while Tehran has retaliated with missile and drone attacks.
“An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the Pentagon. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death.”
Hospital authorities in the Sri Lankan port city of Galle said 87 bodies were brought ashore by military rescuers who responded to an early morning distress call from the vessel.
Officials said another 32 sailors had been rescued and were receiving treatment in hospital, while about 60 people remained unaccounted for from an estimated 180 crew members on board, according to Sri Lankan authorities.
A video released by the Pentagon that purportedly captured the attack showed the warship being struck by a large explosion that blew apart the rear section of the vessel. The blast appeared to lift the ship partially out of the water before it began sinking from the stern.
The exact date of the footage and the precise identification of the ship could not be independently verified. However, the deck configuration and mast visible in the video matched file imagery of the same class of warship as the IRIS Dena.
According to the official website of the naval exercise, the Iranian vessel had previously participated in drills organized by India in the Bay of Bengal between February 18 and February 25.
Sri Lankan authorities said they launched a search-and-rescue operation after receiving the distress call from the ship.
Sri Lankan navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said boats that reached the location of the incident observed only an oil slick in the water. He added that although the sinking occurred outside Sri Lankan territorial waters, Colombo remained committed to assisting in rescue efforts.
Editor’s Note:
This report is based on statements from officials in Sri Lanka and the Pentagon regarding the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean. Casualty figures and operational details are based on preliminary information from rescue authorities and may be updated as further confirmations emerge.
