US submarine sinks Iranian ship in first torpedo kill since WWII, Pentagon confirms
Posted for: Mr Proton
A United States Navy submarine sank an Iranian warship with a single torpedo while the vessel was transiting the Indian Ocean, marking the first time a U.S. submarine has sunk an enemy ship since World War II, the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the strike during a Pentagon briefing on Operation Epic Fury alongside Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine.
“Yesterday in the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sank an Iranian warship that believed it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said. “Instead, it was destroyed by a torpedo — a quiet death. This is the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.”
Officials did not disclose the identity of the fast-attack submarine involved, which is standard practice due to operational security surrounding submarine deployments.
The incident occurred off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, according to Reuters, placing the action within the United States Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. The Iranian vessel involved was the IRIS Dena, a Moudge-class frigate assigned to the Southern Fleet of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy. The ship had reportedly been operating in the region following participation in naval exercises in the Bay of Bengal.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said approximately 180 personnel were aboard the vessel. According to Sri Lankan officials, 32 survivors were rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy.
Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said rescue crews were also recovering bodies from the site.
During the briefing, Caine said the attack demonstrated the reach and precision of U.S. naval forces.
“For the first time since 1945, a United States Navy fast-attack submarine has sunk an enemy combatant ship using a single Mk‑48 torpedo to achieve immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea,” Caine said. “This demonstrates America’s global reach. The ability to hunt, find, and destroy an out-of-area naval deployer at this scale is something only the United States can accomplish.”
Caine added that U.S. forces have struck more than 2,000 targets across Iran and destroyed over 20 Iranian naval vessels since the operation began.
He said the campaign has “effectively neutralized Iran’s major naval presence in the theater at this point in time.”
According to Caine, U.S. strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure and naval capabilities are expected to continue over the next 24 to 48 hours as commanders evaluate progress toward military objectives under the leadership of Donald Trump.
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