Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Mar 4: At least 80 people were killed after a US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The frigate had participated in a multinational naval exercise in India just weeks ago.
The IRIS Dena, a Moudge-class frigate, had taken part in the MILAN 2026 multilateral naval exercise hosted in Visakhapatnam. The vessel had also visited India in 2024 for the earlier edition of the same exercise. It was reportedly on its return journey home when the US submarine launched the attack.
While US authorities have not officially confirmed the casualty figures, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that an American submarine carried out the strike, describing it as proof of Washington’s global military reach in its ongoing war against Iran.
“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” Hegseth told reporters.
The US Department of Defense released black-and-white footage showing what appeared to be a submarine periscope view followed by an explosion in the distance. Military analysts noted that it is unprecedented for a country to release near real-time visuals of a submarine torpedo strike, highlighting how modern warfare and information dissemination have evolved.
Experts believe the Iranian warship may not have detected the US submarine, even if it was operating at periscope depth, underscoring the stealth and tactical capabilities of American submarines.
Earlier, the Indian Navy had stated on February 16 that MILAN 2026, one of the largest multilateral naval exercises in the Indo-Pacific, aimed to enhance interoperability, maritime domain awareness and collective response capabilities among participating navies. The harbour and sea phases included complex maritime operations such as anti-submarine warfare, air defence and search and rescue drills.
It remains unclear whether the US submarine had been tailing or monitoring the IRIS Dena during its participation in MILAN 2026.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan authorities said they had rescued 32 crew members from the sinking frigate. However, 148 other sailors were reported missing, with rescue hopes diminishing as search operations continued.
Hegseth termed the strike a “quiet death” and said it marked the first time since World War II that the United States had sunk an enemy vessel using a torpedo. “Like in that war,” he added, “we are fighting to win.”
The Pentagon has stated that a key objective of the ongoing US-Israeli campaign against Iran, launched on Saturday, is to dismantle and neutralise Iran’s naval capabilities.