An Iranian Navy frigate, IRIS Dena, sank after being struck by a torpedo fired from a United States submarine off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, marking a significant escalation in the widening conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. The attack occurred in international waters about 40 nautical miles south of Galle, and officials say the IRIS Dena was returning from a naval exercise hosted by India when it went down.
At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in Wednesday’s attack, and 32 crew members were rescued and taken to hospital, according to Sri Lankan authorities; roughly 60 others remain unaccounted for from the estimated 180 personnel on board.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the IRIS Dena was hit by a Mark‑48 heavyweight torpedo launched from an American submarine, calling it the first sinking of an enemy warship by torpedo since World War II. Pentagon footage released shows the torpedo impact causing catastrophic damage to the vessel.
The strike has raised legal and strategic concerns. Some former US officials and international law experts questioned whether the vessel posed an imminent threat at the time of the attack. Wes Bryant, a former US Air Force special operations targeting expert, said there was no clear indication the ship was actively participating in hostilities, warning that the action could represent a dangerous precedent.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Vijitha Herath, said the coastguard received a distress call at 5:08 a.m. local time and dispatched naval vessels under international search and rescue conventions. By the time rescue teams arrived, the frigate had already sunk, leaving behind an oil slick.
A senior Sri Lankan official said the Iranian embassy in Colombo indicated through diplomatic channels that it believed the ship had been targeted in a US strike. Iranian sources reportedly claimed the vessel’s defense systems may have been disabled by electromagnetic means before being hit, and another defense source suggested the ship may have been struck by two torpedoes.
The incident comes as the US‑Israeli air campaign against Iran enters its fifth day, with Washington warning that future strikes would hit targets “deeper” inside Iranian territory. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced it would continue missile and drone attacks across the region.
The broader conflict is increasingly affecting regional stability. Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been paralyzed for several days, disrupting critical oil and gas flows from the Middle East. The United Nations reported that at least 100,000 people fled Tehran in the first two days of fighting.
As hostilities expand beyond the Middle East into the Indian Ocean region, international observers warn that the confrontation risks escalating into a far wider global crisis.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
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