An American submarine struck and sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in international waters near Sri Lanka, widening the conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran into the Indian Ocean, NPR reports.
Sri Lankan authorities said they received a distress call and sent ships and aircraft to the scene. Rescue teams recovered more than 80 bodies and brought ashore over 30 survivors; additional crew members remain missing. U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said the Dena was hit by a torpedo. Hegseth called the strike a “quiet death” and described it as the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.
The incident has raised alarm across South Asia. Military analysts and former officers questioned whether India or Sri Lanka were notified before the attack. The Dena had recently left a ceremonial fleet review at an Indian port in late February that was attended by India’s president and defense minister Rajnath Singh; India has not issued a public comment on the sinking.
Observers say the strike demonstrates U.S. naval reach in the Indian Ocean and could unsettle other powers with regional interests, particularly China, which is expanding its presence in the area. The sinking also stokes concerns about broader escalation and the risk that the conflict could spill into neighboring waters as allied and rival states assess their responses.
The situation remains fluid as investigators and regional authorities continue search-and-rescue and recovery operations. Reporting by Diaa Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai.