US submarine sinks Iranian warship as conflict spreads beyond Middle East
Source: The Guardian
Update: 87 Bodies recovered, still around 70 missing. Only 32 survivors of the Iranian frigate sunk this morning by a U.S. Submarine off Sri Lanka.
A torpedo fired by a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the south coast of Sri Lanka as the Trump administration followed through on its threats to destroy Tehran’s military and political leadership. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack on the Iris Dena on Wednesday. The frigate was sailing in international waters as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India in the Bay of Bengal. The torpedo strike prompted questions from former US officials about whether Washington’s aim of eliminating all of Iran’s military breached international law.
The incident came as the US-Israeli air assault on Iran continued for a fifth day, with Washington officials warning that strikes would soon hit targets “deeper” in Iran. US forces also targeted pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, while the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that it would continue missile and drone strikes on targets throughout the Middle East.
Pete Hegseth, the ex-Fox News host now leading the Pentagon as defence secretary, confirmed that the US sank the Iris Dena as it sailed close to the Sri Lankan coast. The Pentagon released black-and-white footage of a Mark 48 heavyweight torpedo striking the frigate, sending a geyser of seawater into the air. “ An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said. He said the attack was carried out late on Tuesday night.
“It was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death – the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II,” added Hegseth. “Like in that war, back when we were still the war department, we are fighting to win.”
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/04/us-submarine-torpedo-iran-warship-sri-lanka-coast-pete-hegseth
There is a video at the link of the actual torpedo strike on the ship.
Extensive article about the attack and body recovery taking place.
This is an update to earlier reports- this one includes a more substantial death toll.
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