American Sub Destroys Iranian Warship in Indian Ocean: Hegseth

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. He said the submarine fired a torpedo on Tuesday, causing the vessel to sink quickly. According to him, the ship met a “quiet death” in international waters. Hegseth did not officially reveal the ship’s name but stated that the operation targeted an enemy naval vessel believed to be operating in the region.

Sri Lankan authorities later reported that their navy had responded to a distress call from an Iranian naval ship named IRIS Dena. The vessel reportedly sank about 40 km off Sri Lanka’s southern coastline. Rescue teams recovered around 80 bodies from the sea while 32 crew members survived the incident. Officials said the rescue mission began soon after the emergency alert reached maritime authorities.

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US submarine sinks Iranian Warship IRIS Dena.

Sri Lankan navy officials explained that the ship’s documents indicated about 180 people had been on board. Survivors suffered serious injuries and rescuers transferred them to a hospital in the southern port city of Galle for treatment. Authorities continued search and recovery operations in the surrounding waters to locate more possible survivors or remains.

Hegseth told reporters that the US submarine struck the Iranian warship even though it believed it was safe in international waters. He also claimed the incident marked the first time since the end of World War II that an American submarine had sunk an enemy ship using a torpedo. However, naval records show that other countries have used torpedoes in naval conflicts since then.

Earlier reports from Sri Lankan navy spokesman Budhika Sampath suggested rescuers initially saw no damaged vessel in the area. Instead, teams found oil patches, floating life rafts, and debris on the water’s surface. Although the incident occurred outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, it fell within the country’s designated search-and-rescue region, which required authorities to respond under international maritime obligations.

The destroyer IRIS Dena, launched in 2015, served in Iran’s Southern Fleet and usually operated near the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The ship had recently taken part in the International Fleet Review hosted by India. Its sinking occurred amid rising regional tensions as the US and Israel continued air strikes against Iran, while Iran launched retaliatory attacks across parts of the Middle East.

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