A United States submarine sank an Iranian frigate off the southern coast of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, killing at least 87 sailors, dramatically expanding the maritime war zone between Washington and Tehran into the deeper Indian Ocean.
The deputy foreign minister of Sri Lanka identified the vessel as the IRIS Dena, with military rescuers responding to an early morning distress call and transported 87 bodies to the port city of Galle. Consequently, hospital authorities confirmed that 32 survivors are receiving treatment while approximately 60 people remain unaccounted for at sea.
The Pentagon released a video purporting to show a massive explosion blowing apart the rear of the vessel. The ship lifted from the water before sinking stern-first into the dark depths of the international shipping lanes.
Pentagon Confirms Torpedo Strike
“An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated. He later described the underwater engagement at the Pentagon as a “quiet death” delivered by a single torpedo.
This engagement occurred hundreds of miles from the Gulf, where US and Israeli forces frequently trade strikes with Tehran. Previously, the IRIS Dena participated in the ‘Milan’ multilateral naval exercise organized by India from 18 to 25 February.
Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath noted that rescuers initially observed only a massive oil slick upon arrival. “We found people floating in the water and rescued them,” Sampath told reporters during a briefing in Colombo. “Later on, we found upon inquiring that they belonged to the Iranian ship.”
Furthermore, two Sri Lankan sources told Reuters that the surviving commander and senior officers confirmed a submarine attack hit them. Although the incident happened outside territorial waters, Sri Lanka remains committed to providing ongoing search and medical support.
The Indian Navy, which recently welcomed the Dena to Visakhapatnam to celebrate cultural links, did not comment on the sinking. This escalation suggests that no region of the Indian Ocean remains safe from the broadening conflict between these nations.
