Warship Sunk by Torpedo Attack: Iran Says the US Will Regret It Greatly

Iran has responded to the sinking of one of its warships by a torpedo attack launched by an American submarine in the Indian Ocean. Tehran asserts that Washington will “regret its actions greatly.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, as cited by AFP, on Thursday (5 March 2026), accused the US of cruelty by sinking the Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka. Araghchi described the strike as launched in international waters without warning. He warned about the precedent set by the US with its attack on the Iranian warship. “The US has committed cruelty at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores. The frigate Dena, a guest of the Indian Navy carrying nearly 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning,” he denounced in a statement via social media X. “Remember my words: the US will very much regret the precedent it has set,” the Iranian foreign minister asserted. The US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth previously announced that an American submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka. “An American submarine sank a warship that thought it was safe in international waters. However, the ship was sunk by a torpedo,” he said. Hegseth described the attack as the “silent death” and the first enemy ship sunk by the US with a torpedo since World War II. The Iranian warship hit by the US torpedo has been identified as IRIS Dena. The strike occurred while the warship was sailing after reportedly following military exercises at Visakhapatnam port in eastern India. Sri Lankan Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said the Iranian warship sent an emergency call at dawn, but had sunk completely by the time rescuers reached the area within one hour, leaving an oil slick on the surface. The attack, according to the Sri Lankan Navy, took place in waters about 40 kilometres south of Galle. The Sri Lankan Navy has evacuated 87 bodies from the sunken Iranian warship. A police spokesman and the Sri Lankan Navy said that at least a further 61 personnel remain missing. “Searches are ongoing for others still missing,” said a Sri Lankan naval official who spoke to AFP. Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath separately announced that Sri Lankan forces had rescued 32 personnel from the Iranian warship, most of whom were injured. They are now receiving medical treatment at a hospital in the city of Galle.