'Quiet Death'; US sinks Iranian warship IRIS Dena by torpedo in international waters, 87 killed

WASHINGTON: The United States confirmed sinking an Iranian Warship IRIS Dena, in the Indian Ocean using a submarine. The United States also released footage of the attack on the ship through X. Defence Secretary Peter Hegseth confirmed the news. The Iranian ship was sunk using a torpedo. The US Defence Secretary also said that the ship was sunk in international waters.

“A US submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean. This is the first time since World War II that an enemy ship has been torpedoed. We are fighting to win, said Peter Hegseth, who described the attack as ‘Quiet Death’.

The Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry has confirmed that 87 people were killed in the US attack on an Iranian warship. However, the US has not officially confirmed the death toll. It is reported that 32 people have been rescued by Sri Lankan authorities. 78 have been injured. Of these, 32 are reported to be seriously injured. One of the rescued people is in a critical condition. Seven people have been given urgent treatment, said Dr Anil Jasinghe, a senior official in the Ministry of Health.

The Iris Dena was returning after participating in Indian Navy exercises in Visakhapatnam. The ship arrived on February 17 to participate in the naval exercise 'Milan 2026' held in Visakhapatnam from February 21 to 25. After participating in the international fleet review and naval exercise, it began its return journey at the end of February. Equipped with modern radar systems, Iris Dena has electronic warfare capabilities.

Sri Lankan authorities received a distress call from the ship at around 5.08 am yesterday. The incident took place 40 nautical miles off the coast of Galle, outside Sri Lankan territorial waters. The Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force immediately launched a rescue operation. The rescued people were taken to a hospital in Karapitiya.

👉 Hours before the incident, the US claimed to have sunk 17 Iranian ships and a submarine

👉 It is reported that Israeli submarines are also monitoring the region

The death toll in Iran in the conflict has exceeded 1,000. Israel has destroyed several security facilities. Iran's retaliation against US and Israeli facilities in the Gulf countries continues. Another drone attack was carried out on the Aramco oil refinery in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. Drones targeting the UAE were shot down by France's Rafale fighter jets. A drone crashed near the US consulate in Dubai. Iran's ballistic missiles targeting Turkey knocked out NATO's air defense system. NATO strongly condemned the attempted attack.