Daijiworld Media Network - Colombo

Colombo, Mar 4: The escalating West Asia conflict appears to have spilled into the Indian Ocean region, with an Iranian vessel reportedly struck by a submarine off the Sri Lankan coast, leaving 101 people missing and 78 others injured, Reuters reported citing the Sri Lankan Navy and Defence Ministry.

According to the report, rescue operations are underway as authorities assess the extent of the damage and search for those unaccounted for.

The incident comes amid intensifying hostilities between the United States and Iran. Earlier, the US military claimed it had destroyed 17 Iranian ships, including a submarine, and carried out strikes on nearly 2,000 targets inside Iran.

United States Central Command said its operations had significantly weakened Iran’s naval presence in key maritime corridors.

“Today, there is not a single Iranian ship underway in the Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, or Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM’s commander Brad Cooper said in a video message posted on X.

The Arabian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman are critical global shipping lanes through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply passes. Any disruption in these waters has the potential to impact international trade and energy markets.

There was no immediate official statement from Tehran regarding the reported strike near Sri Lanka. Further details are awaited as the situation continues to develop.