A U.S. submarine attacked and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka, killing at least 87 people, officials confirmed.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said a U.S. submarine attacked an Iranian vessel near the southern coast of Sri Lanka, significantly expanding naval operations in the region.
180 Onboard Iris Dena
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that about 180 people were on board the uncommissioned frigate IRIS Dena when it crashed about 40 nautical miles from the island. The vessel issued a distress signal before sinking.
“An American submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka,” Hegseth said, adding that the ship was a military target.
This sinking was the result of a separate U.S. operation, and the Department of Defense confirmed that the Soleimani-class corvette also sank in the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Iran.
Ship returning from training in India
The ship, named IRINS Dena, recently participated in the International Fleet Review 2026 in India before embarking on its return voyage. According to the training website, it was listed as participating in naval exercises held in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to February 25.
Two weeks before the sinking, the Eastern Naval Command welcomed the Iranian vessel during a port call in Visakhapatnam.
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Rescue operations continue
Sri Lankan authorities said 32 people were rescued and several bodies were recovered from the sea. The injured are being treated at a state-run hospital in the southern port city of Galle.
“We hope to rescue more people and we will continue the operation until we are sure,” said Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Commander Budhika Sampath.
He added, “We cannot yet reveal the specific number of deaths.”
Sampath said a rescue boat that arrived at the scene did not see the boat and observed only a slick of oil. The Navy received a distress signal from the Iranian ship and notified the Sri Lankan Air Force to begin a joint search and rescue operation.
“The ship is a military vessel. The incident occurred outside Sri Lankan waters, but Sri Lanka is doing its best to provide support,” he said.
The Sri Lankan military did not observe any other ships or aircraft in the area at the time of the incident.
“No other vessels were observed in the area,” the spokesperson said.
“No aircraft were observed in the area during the distress call,” a Sri Lankan Air Force spokesperson said.
Accounts crashing before we verify them
Before Hegseth’s comments, Sri Lankan Navy and Defense Ministry sources said the ship may have been attacked by a submarine and that at least 101 people were missing. They added that it was unclear who targeted the ship.
Earlier, a Sri Lankan Navy spokesman dismissed reports about the cause of the sinking, saying, “We reject reports about the cause of the ship’s sinking,” and emphasized that the immediate focus was on saving lives.
“The focus will be on saving lives on board the vessel, after which investigations can be conducted into other details,” he said.
The Secretary of Defense’s confirmation that a U.S. submarine carried out the attack marks a sharp escalation of an incident that previously raised questions about whether the sinking was the result of an attack, a technical failure or another accident at sea.
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