The United States has confirmed that one of its submarines torpedoed has sank an Iranian naval frigate in international waters near Sri Lanka, marking what U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as the first American naval strike on an enemy vessel since World War II.
According to U.S. officials, the targeted vessel was the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, which went down off Sri Lanka’s southern coast in the Indian Ocean.
Sri Lankan authorities said they rescued 32 wounded sailors from the water and recovered several bodies, while search operations remain ongoing for additional crew members.
Early defence sources had suggested that more than 100 personnel could be missing, though a Sri Lankan navy spokesperson cautioned that those figures have not been officially confirmed.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath informed parliament that the vessel had sunk but did not immediately comment on the reported U.S. involvement.
A navy spokesperson said Sri Lankan forces received a distress call from the Iranian ship and promptly coordinated with the air force to launch a search-and-rescue mission.
The injured were transported to a state-run hospital in the southern port city of Galle for treatment.
“Sri Lankan forces are focused on saving lives. Investigations into the cause of the incident will follow,” the spokesperson said, adding that no other ships or aircraft were observed in the vicinity during the rescue operation.
The strike represents a significant escalation in the widening confrontation between Washington and Tehran, as tensions continue to spill beyond the Middle East into strategic international waterways.
Rescue efforts are expected to continue until authorities are confident no additional survivors remain at sea.
