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A US submarine has sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in international waters off Sri Lanka's coast, confirmed US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
On Wednesday, March 4, in a Pentagon briefing, Hegseth said the strike on the Iranian warship was the "first such attack on an enemy since World War II".
As reported by Al Jazeera, Sri Lanka's government shared that it has recovered several bodies and rescued around 32 wounded sailors outside the island's territorial waters.
The country's deputy foreign minister told local television that at least 80 people were killed in the strike.
Sri Lankan officials noted that the ship had about 180 crew members on board, and a search and rescue operation was under way.
The Iranian frigate was returning from having taken part in the 2026 International Fleet Review last month in Eastern India's coastal city of Vishakhapatnam.
Moreover, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the coastguard received a distress call from an Iranian navy ship, the Iris Dena, following which the government sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission.
The warship's sinking occurred as the US and Israel conduct air strikes on Iran for a fifth day after killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and nearly 800 other people, including dozens of schoolgirls.
Tehran responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and US-linked assets in Gulf countries, causing multiple fatalities.
