A US submarine has sunk an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka, killing at least 80 people and leaving dozens injured, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on Wednesday. The attack occurred in international waters in the Indian Ocean, with Hegseth describing the vessel as Iran's 'prize ship'. He claimed it was the first time an enemy vessel had been sunk by a torpedo since the Second World War.
Sri Lanka's navy recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people from the water, after initial reports suggested more than 100 were missing. Foreign minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the Iranian frigate Iris Dena, carrying 180 people, was in distress and sinking. Navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said rescue teams found only oil patches and life rafts, with survivors floating in the water.
The rescued were taken to a hospital in Galle, where one is in critical condition and seven are receiving emergency treatment. The Iris Dena, a Moudge-class frigate, was one of Iran's newest warships, armed with heavy guns, missiles, and torpedoes. It had been on a two-ship international tour in 2023 and was sanctioned by the US Treasury in February 2023 for supplying drones to Russia.
US Admiral Brad Cooper said 17 Iranian naval vessels have been sunk during the ongoing war, including the country's most operational submarine. He added that no Iranian ships remain underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman. The sinking occurred on the fifth day of the US and Israel's war with Iran, with Hegseth warning that attacks will continue and that the US will 'punch Iran while it is down'.
