An Iranian warship that recently took part in an international naval exercise in India has been sunk by a United States submarine in the Indian Ocean, in an incident that highlights the growing conflict between the United States and Iran.
The ship, called IRIS Dena, was a modern Moudge-class frigate belonging to Iran’s Southern Fleet. It was torpedoed on 4 March near the southern coast of Sri Lanka while sailing in international waters.
According to US officials, the attack was carried out by a submarine using a Mark-48 torpedo, a powerful underwater weapon designed to destroy large ships. The strike reportedly happened early in the morning at around 05:30 local time.
The warship sank within just a few minutes after the explosion. Out of about 130 sailors on board, rescue teams have recovered at least 87 bodies, while 32 sailors survived the attack. Many others are still believed to be missing.
Just weeks before the incident, the Iranian vessel had visited the Indian port city of Visakhapatnam to take part in the International Fleet Review 2026 and Exercise Milan, a major multinational naval exercise hosted by India. The event involved dozens of countries and warships and was meant to strengthen cooperation between navies.
Photos from the event showed Iranian sailors participating alongside naval forces from other nations. At the time, the visit was described as a sign of international cooperation at sea.
After the attack, Sri Lanka launched a search and rescue operation in the waters near the southern city of Galle, where the ship sank. India also sent aircraft and naval ships to assist with the rescue efforts.
Iran has strongly condemned the strike, calling it a serious act of aggression. Iranian officials said the warship had recently been a diplomatic guest of the Indian Navy and accused the United States of escalating tensions in the region.
Military analysts say that during active conflict, naval ships belonging to an enemy country can become legitimate targets. However, the incident has raised concerns because it occurred close to India’s maritime region shortly after the vessel took part in an international naval exercise.
Experts warn that the sinking of the Iranian warship shows how the conflict between the United States and Iran is spreading beyond the Middle East and could increasingly affect countries around the Indian Ocean region.
Search operations are still continuing as authorities try to locate more survivors and recover debris from the sunken warship.
Comments
Post a Comment