An American submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters near Sri Lanka, expanding the conflict between the U.S., Israel and Iran into the Indian Ocean, NPR and regional officials reported.
Sri Lankan authorities said they received a distress call and dispatched ships and aircraft to the scene, recovering more than 80 bodies and rescuing over 30 survivors; others remain missing. U.S. defense officials identified the vessel as the IRIS Dena, one of Iran’s newest warships, and said it had been struck by a torpedo.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the strike as “a torpedo. Quiet death,” and characterized it as the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.
The incident has alarmed governments across South Asia. The attack occurred close to Sri Lanka and near India’s southeastern tip, raising questions about whether Sri Lanka or India were notified in advance. Sushant Singh, a lecturer in South Asian studies at Yale and a former Indian military officer, said there was no evidence either government had been informed, a matter of concern given India’s working ties with Tehran and its recent restraint after earlier attacks on Iranian leadership figures.
Complicating sensitivities, the Iranian ship had taken part in a ceremonial fleet review at an Indian port in late February, an event overseen by India’s president and defense minister. Videos posted by India’s defense minister at the time celebrated the gathering as navies “coming together for peace.” India has not publicly commented on the sinking. Sri Lanka’s government has called for calm and stressed it does not want to be drawn into the wider conflict.
Analysts say the strike will reverberate beyond South Asia, including in Beijing, which seeks influence in the Indian Ocean. A U.S. submarine operating and attacking targets there signals Washington’s willingness to project power in waters Beijing prizes. The episode highlights how the confrontation involving the U.S., Israel and Iran is spreading beyond the Middle East into vital sea lanes, increasing regional security risks and creating new diplomatic and strategic tensions.
Diaa Hadid, NPR News, Mumbai.
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