An Iranian military frigate sank just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, leaving several dead and 32 sailors rescued, authorities reported.
Distress call and rescue operation
The IRIS Dena, about 40 nautical miles (75 km) off Galle in southern Sri Lanka, sent a distress call between 6am and 7am local time on Wednesday. Sri Lankan naval and air force units launched a search and rescue operation immediately.
The ship carried around 180 crew members, but rescuers have so far recovered 32 wounded sailors and several bodies. Officials are still trying to locate the nearly 150 missing crew members.
Background of the frigate
The Iranian frigate had returned from participating in the 2026 International Fleet Review in Vishakapatnam, India. Vijitha Herath, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, said the government dispatched ships and aircraft as soon as it received the distress alert.
US submarine carried out deadly strike
A US military submarine carried out the deadly strike on an Iranian warship off Sri Lanka’s coast.
Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the US had “torpedoed” the vessel in international waters.
Sources: Al Jazeera/The Independent
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