Pentagon confirms its submarine sank Iranian warship; 80 killed
What's the story
A United States Navy submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka on Tuesday, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed. He said it was the first time since World War II that a hostile vessel had been targeted by the US in the Indian Ocean. The incident occurred late on Tuesday night when a torpedo struck an Iranian frigate traveling close to Sri Lankan waters. According to Reuters, at least 80 people were killed.
Rescue operation
Sri Lanka's response to the incident
"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters," Hegseth said. "Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo." Sri Lanka's Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said the country's coastguard received a distress call from the Iranian navy ship, Iris Dena, at 5:08am on Wednesday. The crew had reported an explosion on board. Herath confirmed that two naval vessels were dispatched by 7:00am to respond to this emergency situation.
Ongoing operation
Iris Dena was Iran's latest naval addition
The Iris Dena was the latest addition to the Iranian naval fleet, armed with various weapons systems. It was likely passing Sri Lanka after participating in an international fleet review hosted by India's navy last week. So far, 32 crew members have been rescued and taken to a hospital in Galle, while 28 bodies have been recovered. The Sri Lankan navy spokesperson said rescue efforts are continuing with a focus on helping survivors.
Iran
US, Israel will control Iranian skies: Hegseth
During a Pentagon press briefing, Hegseth also announced that the US and Israel will have complete, uncontested control of Iranian skies in "under a week." "It means we will fly all day, all night, day and night, finding, fixing and finishing the missiles and defense industrial base of the Iranian military," Hegseth said. To meet this goal, Hegseth stated that the United States will use "500 lbs., 1,000 lbs., and 2,000 lbs. GPS and laser guided, precision gravity bombs."
Rising tensions
Escalation of hostilities between US and Iran
The US submarine strike on the Iranian warship marks a major escalation in hostilities between the two nations. This comes after recent joint strikes by the US and Israel on Iran over the weekend. The bombardment killed Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and a dozen other high-ranking Iranian officials, while also targeting Iran's ballistic missile and air defense installations. In response, Iran launched missile attacks across the Middle East and suspended all shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.