A US submarine reportedly sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, killing at least 87 sailors and leaving dozens more missing, according to officials. This incident marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, sparked by a joint US-Israel attack on Iran.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the attack, stating, “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo.” Hegseth described the attack as “quiet death” and highlighted its historical significance as the first US sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. He emphasized the US commitment, declaring, “Like in that war, we are fighting to win.”
The Sri Lankan navy has recovered the bodies of 87 sailors from the waters near the southern city of Galle, with 61 still unaccounted for, according to police and defense officials. A navy official, speaking anonymously to AFP, confirmed that “A search is still on for the others.”
Earlier reports from Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath indicated that Sri Lankan forces rescued 32 sailors, many of whom were wounded, from the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena. These rescued sailors are currently receiving treatment in Galle, where an AFP photographer witnessed the initial transportation of over two dozen bodies to a hospital on Wednesday evening.
Sri Lankan navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath stated that the warship issued a distress call at dawn but had completely submerged by the time a rescue vessel arrived within an hour, leaving only an oil slick on the surface. The Iranian warship was reportedly en route after participating in a military exercise in India’s eastern port of Visakhapatnam. The attack occurred just 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Galle, the local navy confirmed.
As of yet, Iran has not issued a comment on the sinking, and Tehran’s ambassador in Colombo, Alireza Delkhosh, was not immediately available for comment. Sampath clarified that Sri Lanka’s response to the distress call adhered to its maritime obligations, stating, “This is within our search and rescue area in the Indian Ocean.”
Sri Lanka has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict and has consistently advocated for dialogue to resolve the tensions in the Middle East. The region is economically vital to Sri Lanka, employing over a million of its citizens and serving as a crucial source of foreign exchange, especially as the country recovers from its severe economic downturn in 2022. Both the Sri Lankan navy and air force have declined to release footage of the rescue operations, citing the involvement of another state’s military. Security was heightened outside the Galle hospital as the wounded Iranian sailors were brought in.
