US submarine sinks Iranian frigate near Sri Lanka as regional tensions escalate
Sri Lanka rescued dozens of Iranian sailors and evacuated the crew of a second Iranian naval vessel after a United States submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian frigate off the island’s southern coast, marking the first confirmed torpedo attack by the US Navy against an enemy warship since World War II.
The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, a Moudge class warship, was struck about 40 nautical miles off the port city of Galle early on March 4. The vessel was returning to Iran after participating in a multinational naval exercise hosted by India in the Bay of Bengal.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, describing it as a decisive submarine attack and calling the IRIS Dena a high profile vessel in Iran’s naval fleet.
Sri Lanka’s navy and air force launched a search and rescue mission after receiving a distress signal from the frigate at 5:08 a.m. local time. By the time rescue teams reached the location, the ship had already sunk, leaving behind oil slicks and lifeboats, according to navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath.
Thirty two survivors, all seriously injured, were transported to the national hospital in Galle for treatment. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that 87 bodies had been recovered and that more than ten sailors remained missing from a crew estimated at around 180 personnel.
The incident was followed by another emergency involving a second Iranian naval vessel, the IRIS Bushehr. Sri Lankan authorities evacuated 208 crew members after the ship reported engine failure near Colombo within Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the evacuation included 53 officers, 84 cadets, 48 experienced sailors, and 23 junior seamen. Sri Lanka’s navy took control of the vessel and began moving it toward the port of Trincomalee for safety amid concerns it could also become a target.
Dissanayake emphasized that Sri Lanka was maintaining neutrality in the conflict but would continue to act to protect human life at sea.
The sinking of the IRIS Dena occurred as part of a broader US and Israeli military campaign against Iran that began on February 28. According to US Central Command, more than 20 Iranian warships have been destroyed since the start of the operations.
Iran strongly condemned the attack. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the strike as a maritime atrocity, arguing that the frigate was not armed and had been visiting as a guest of the Indian Navy when it was struck without warning in international waters.
The incident has placed Sri Lanka in a difficult diplomatic position as the conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran expands into the Indian Ocean.
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