US Submarine Sinks Iranian Warship IRIS Dena In Indian Ocean, Dozens Dead

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said an American submarine sank an Iranian warship using a torpedo on Tuesday. The vessel was reportedly returning from Visakhapatnam after participating in a naval exercise organised by the Indian Navy last month.

Sri Lankan authorities launched a rescue operation after receiving a distress call from the Iranian naval ship IRIS Dena, which sank about 40 km off the country’s southern coast. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said rescue teams recovered 80 bodies and rescued 32 survivors.

Sri Lanka’s navy said around 180 people were believed to have been on board, based on the ship’s documentation. The injured survivors were taken to a hospital in the southern port city of Galle.

Hegseth claimed the incident marked the first time since World War II that a US submarine had sunk an enemy ship using a torpedo. Video released by the US Department of war shows a ship being struck before its stern rises out of the water, followed by an explosion.

The incident occurred on the fifth day of the escalating conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran. Strikes launched by the US and Israel on February 28 reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with several senior officials