A United States submarine has sunk an Iranian warship in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka, sharply escalating tensions in an already widening conflict, according to Al Jazeera News.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing that the submarine fired a torpedo at the Iranian vessel, calling it the first such naval attack on an enemy ship since World War II.
Sri Lankan officials confirmed that an Iranian frigate sank about 40 nautical miles off the southern city of Galle, just outside the country’s territorial waters. Authorities said the ship, identified as the IRIS Dena, sent out a distress call early Wednesday morning.
The frigate was believed to have around 180 crew members on board. Sri Lanka’s government reported that several bodies had been recovered and 32 wounded sailors rescued and taken to a hospital in Galle. The country’s deputy foreign minister told local television that at least 80 people may have been killed, though the full number of casualties remains unclear. Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing.
Sri Lanka’s navy and air force were dispatched after receiving word that the vessel was in distress. A navy spokesperson said no other ships or aircraft were observed in the area at the time of the sinking.
The Iranian warship had recently participated in the 2026 International Fleet Review in Vishakapatnam, India, and was returning home when it was struck.
The sinking comes amid five days of intense conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The violence followed air strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, along with hundreds of others. Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and U.S.-linked sites in Gulf nations, resulting in further casualties.
As rescue teams search the waters near Sri Lanka, fears grow that the conflict is expanding beyond borders and into the open sea.__Photo Courtesy X
