New Delhi/Colombo, March 4 In a significant escalation of the West Asia crisis, a US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, while it was returning after participating in the Milan naval exercise, a multilateral wargame hosted by India.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, confirming the strike, said at a Pentagon media briefing that it was the first sinking of an enemy warship by a torpedo since World War II.
The Associated Press, quoting the Sri Lankan Navy, reported that 87 bodies were recovered and that 32 people were rescued after the sinking of the warship, the IRIS Dena.
"An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters… Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo," Hegseth said.
The incident marks a major escalation of the conflict between the US and Iran outside the Persian Gulf, raising questions about maritime security in the Indian Ocean, which is largely considered the domain of the Indian Navy.
The Pentagon has also released a short video of the sinking of the Iranian frigate.
The warship, the IRIS Dena, is a Moudge-class frigate and had nearly 180 crew members on board.
Sri Lankan officials said a major search and rescue operation was underway to rescue the survivors.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said that the military rescued 32 critically wounded sailors.
The military of the island nation launched the search and rescue operation after receiving a distress signal from the Iranian warship, they said.
The IRIS Dena was part of the Indian Navy's premier multilateral maritime exercise, Milan. The mega exercise last month saw participation of 42 warships and submarines, including 18 ships from friendly foreign countries.
The warship had also featured in the International Fleet Review hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam last month.
Former Indian Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash described the US action as a "senseless" and "inflammatory act".
"The sinking of the Iranian warship, off the southern tip of Sri Lanka, with heavy loss of life, is a senseless and inflammatory act. Initiating another dimension of violence in this open-ended conflict will spread alarm across the high seas and disrupt global seaborne commerce. It is condemnable!" he said on social media.
The US launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a series of attacks, mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
In the last two days, the conflict has significantly widened with attacks and counter-attacks by both sides.
India has called for resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
"In recent days, we have not only witnessed an intensification of the conflict, but also its spread to other nations. The destruction and deaths have mounted, even as normal life and economic activities have come to a halt," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
"As a proximate neighbour with critical stakes in the security and stability of the region, these developments evoke great anxiety," it said.