Sri Lanka Navy Rescues Survivors After Torpedo Strike on Iranian Warship, 87 Bodies Recovered
A U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, with Sri Lankan authorities recovering 87 bodies and rescuing 32 survivors from the sea, officials said.
The vessel, identified as IRIS Dena, had around 180 crew members on board when it was struck by a torpedo, triggering a large-scale rescue operation by the Sri Lanka Navy.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that naval ships and aircraft were dispatched after the warship transmitted a distress signal from waters south of the island nation.
However, when rescue teams reached the area, the ship had already sunk, officials said.
“There was no sign of the vessel, only oil patches and life rafts. We found people floating in the water,” Sri Lanka Navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said.
The 32 survivors rescued from the sea were shifted to a hospital in Galle, where they are undergoing treatment, officials said. Medical authorities said one survivor remains in critical condition, while several others are receiving emergency care.
Bodies recovered during the rescue operation are also being transported to the National Hospital in Galle, where temporary arrangements have been made to handle the casualties.
The United States confirmed the attack, with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying the submarine strike destroyed what he described as Iran’s “prize ship.”
“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing.
The IRIS Dena, one of Iran’s newer naval frigates, was equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and heavy guns, and also carried a helicopter.
The sinking forms part of the ongoing US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which Washington says aims to weaken Iran’s naval capabilities.
According to US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper, at least 17 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed during the conflict so far.
