At least 80 killed after US submarine sinks Iranian warship near Sri Lanka

At least 80 people were killed after a US submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian Navy warship in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, according to a report by Reuters.

The United States has not confirmed the reported death toll. However, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged the strike, describing it as a demonstration of America’s global military reach amid its ongoing war with Iran.

“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” Hegseth told reporters.

Sri Lankan authorities said 32 crew members were rescued from the frigate IRIS Dena following the attack. A further 148 sailors remain missing, with search efforts ongoing and hopes fading that additional survivors will be found.

Hegseth referred to the strike as a “quiet death,” calling it the first time since World War II that the United States has sunk an enemy vessel using a torpedo. “Like in that war,” he said, “we are fighting to win.”

The Pentagon has said one of the central objectives of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, launched over the weekend, is to dismantle Iran’s naval capabilities.

The sinking marks a significant escalation in maritime hostilities, expanding the conflict further into the Indian Ocean and raising concerns about regional shipping routes and broader security implications.