March 04, (THEWILL) — The United States Department of Defence, on Wednesday, confirmed that a U.S. Navy submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, with at least 32 crew members rescued from the sea following the strike.
U.S. Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, disclosed the development during a Pentagon press briefing, describing the operation as the first time since World War II that a U.S. submarine has sunk an enemy combatant ship using a torpedo.
“Yesterday, in the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sank an Iranian warship that was believed to be operating safely in international waters. It was struck by a torpedo — the first such sinking since World War II”, Hegseth said.
The Iranian vessel was identified as IRIS Dena, a Moudge-class frigate assigned to the Southern Fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy. The warship was reportedly returning from naval drills in the Bay of Bengal when it was targeted.
According to Sri Lankan authorities, about 180 personnel were aboard the vessel at the time of the strike. The Sri Lankan Navy launched immediate search-and-rescue operations, successfully pulling 32 survivors from the water. Recovery efforts were ongoing as of Wednesday, with officials confirming that bodies had also been retrieved from the scene.
Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, stated that the submarine deployed a single Mk-48 torpedo to sink the frigate.
“For the first time since 1945, a United States Navy fast-attack submarine has sunk an enemy combatant ship using a single Mk-48 torpedo,” Caine said, describing the strike as a demonstration of U.S. naval reach and capability.
The incident forms part of the broader U.S. military campaign known as Operation Epic Fury, under which Washington says it has struck more than 2,000 targets across Iran and destroyed over 20 Iranian naval vessels.
U.S. officials claim the sustained operations have significantly degraded Iran’s naval capacity in the region. Additional military actions were said to be under consideration as the situation continues to evolve.
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