Iranian frigate sunk after US torpedo strike, Tehran vows “bitter regret”

At least 80 people have died after the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena sank in the Indian Ocean, according to the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence, cited by CNN. 

The vessel reportedly went down after being struck by a torpedo fired from a US submarine.

Sri Lankan naval forces said that 32 people have been rescued so far. According to the country’s foreign minister, there were 180 people on board when the first distress signal was received on Wednesday.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed on Wednesday that an American submarine sank the Iranian vessel in international waters. While he did not specifically mention the rescue operation conducted by Sri Lankan forces, his description of the strike appears to correspond to the location of the ongoing rescue efforts.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack, calling it an “atrocity at sea” and warning that the United States would “bitterly regret” the incident.

“The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran's shores,” Araghchi wrote on social media platform X. “Frigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning. Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set.”

By Khagan Isayev