(Bloomberg) — A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, marking the first time a U.S. submarine has attacked a surface vessel since World War II.
Sri Lankan authorities said the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena sank off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, with 32 sailors rescued and more than 100 missing or dead.
The ship signaled early Wednesday that it was in distress and requested help, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told lawmakers in parliament. He did not give details of how the vessel, which had 180 people on board, sank.
Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said the rescued crew members were taken to a hospital in the southern part of Galle. The Sri Lankan Navy found an oil slick and life rafts after arriving at the site, he added.
The U.S. Navy has about 50 nuclear-powered attack submarines in three classes, the Los Angeles, Virginia, and Seawolf. Due to their nuclear propulsion and design, they are all extremely silent – designed to track enemy vessels without being detected. It was not clear which submarine fired the torpedo.
US submarines are usually armed with Mk48 heavy torpedoes, which carry 650 pounds of explosives designed to detonate under the keel of the target, breaking it in two.
The discovery of the sinking comes amid an escalating conflict between Iran and US and Israeli forces. The fighting shows no sign of abating five days after it broke out, with both sides continuing to exchange airstrikes and rocket fire.
Iranian naval ships often dock at foreign ports, including India, as part of long-term deployments. IRIS Dena was in India in February to participate in the International Fleet Review along with vessels from 40 other countries including the US and Russia.
A Sri Lanka Navy spokesman said technical experts would have to determine the cause of the vessel’s sinking. The focus remains on search and rescue operations, he said.
Several bodies were also found and are believed to be from the vessel based on wind patterns, Sampath said. Search operations have been expanded in the hope of finding more survivors, he added.
On Tuesday, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the country had received requests from shipping lines to stow containers en route to conflict-affected ports in the Middle East.
–With assistance from Sudhi Ranjan Sen and Gerry Doyle.
(Adds US confirmation in paragraph 1, submarine background in paragraphs 5-6)
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