US defence secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday confirmed that it was a torpedo from a US submarine that sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.
In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said that the Tuesday night strike on the Iranian warship was the first such attack on an enemy vessel since World War II.
.@SECWAR “In the Indian Ocean—an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship, that thought it was safe in international waters.
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) March 4, 2026
Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo—Quiet Death.
The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War 2. Like in that war—back when we were… pic.twitter.com/Y97YQBxQza
The US defence department has also released visuals showing the moment the torpedo allegedly hit the Iranian warship.
https://t.co/PiqQpVIrMu pic.twitter.com/Wc1e0B0um7
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) March 4, 2026
Though Hegseth did not name the warship, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath revealed that as many as 180 people had been onboard the Moudge-class Iranian frigate, which he identified as the IRIS Dena.
The vessel sunk about 40 nautical miles away from Sri Lanka’s coast on Wednesday after issuing a distress call, Sri Lankan officials had said earlier.
The Sri Lankan Navy on Wednesday said it rescued at least 32 Iranian sailors from a sinking Iranian naval ship off the southern coast, while several bodies were recovered from the site.
Notably, the frigate had been part of a joint naval exercise hosted by India, and was returning to Iran when it reported the distress signal.
Welcome! | خوش آمدید!
— Eastern Naval Command 🇮🇳 (@IN_HQENC) February 17, 2026
🇮🇳🤝🇮🇷 Indian Navy welcomes IRIS Dena, of the Iranian Navy, on her arrival at #Visakhapatnam to participate in #IFR2026_India and #MILAN2026, reflecting long-standing cultural links between the two nations.@India_in_Iran #BridgesOfFriendship… pic.twitter.com/O77v2qNJHJ
About two weeks ago, India had hosted the Indian Navy’s International Fleet Review (IFR) in Visakhapatnam on February 18, which brought together naval forces from more than 70 countries.
About 19 warships from 18 countries were also on display alongside dozens of Indian naval vessels, including the INS Vikrant, destroyers, frigates, and submarines—all of which were showcased before the presidential ship—the INS Sumedha—that sailed with the country’s Supreme Commander-in-Chief President Draupadi Murmu.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is yet to respond to news of the destruction of the IRIS Dena—one of the Indian Navy's guests at the IFR 2026—which took place within India's sphere of influence in the Indian Ocean, and how the attack will impact ties between New Delhi and Washington, going forward.
