The Pentagon revealed the destruction of an Iranian frigate by an American submarine
A frigate of the Iranian Navy was attacked by a US submarine and sank off the coast of Sri Lanka. The Pentagon showed footage from the scene. They show that after the torpedo hit, a fire started on the ship, followed by a powerful explosion. According to preliminary data, most of the sailors on board died.
The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was attacked in the international waters of the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, Reuters reports. According to the latest data, 87 of the approximately 180 sailors on board the ship were killed, 32 were rescued, and the fate of the rest is unknown.
The Sri Lankan government reported that IRIS Dena had issued a distress call, located about 40 kilometers from the city of Galle. The ship was returning to Iran after participating in the naval exercises MILAN 2026, held in Visakhapatnam (India).
According to him, the United States is gaining the upper hand in this conflict.
"It was never about it being a fair fight. And now it's not a fair fight. We beat them while they're down. <..We can fight this fight for as long as it takes," he said.
Commenting on the attack on the Iranian ship, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kane noted that one Mark 48 guided torpedo (its warhead is about 300 kilograms) was used for the attack. In addition, Kane pointed out that more than 20 naval vessels of the Islamic Republic have already been destroyed during the attack on Iran. In turn, Hegseth said that now "the Iranian fleet is resting at the bottom — ineffective in battle, destroyed, defeated, defeated."
The lost frigate IRIS Dena was considered one of Iran's most modern warships: the vessel was launched in 2021 and equipped with anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missiles, cannons and torpedo tubes.
According to the representative of the Sri Lankan Navy, Buddhika Sampath, by the time the rescue ships arrived at the site, the frigate had already sunk, leaving only oil slicks and life rafts on the surface of the sea.
Earlier, American Admiral Brad Cooper noted that the United States is focused on eliminating everything that "can shoot at us," and, among other things, intends to completely destroy the Iranian fleet. According to him, the Americans have already sent Iran's most combat-ready Fateh-class submarine to the bottom, attacking it near Bandar Abbas. It is known that Tehran also has Russian-made Varshavyanka submarines in service. According to reports, they have not been injured yet.
"An incredibly dangerous example"
White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt praised President Donald Trump at a briefing and announced the success of Operation Epic Fury.
"President Trump will bring these monsters to justice and permanently deprive them of their nuclear ambitions. Future generations of Americans will remember this moment as the beginning of Operation Fury, which ended the threat of a nuclear Iran that we faced last weekend," she said.
Levitt repeated the words of the head of the Pentagon that the United States has significantly weakened the Iranian Navy.
"So far, we have destroyed more than 20 Iranian ships, including their main submarine, with a torpedo last night. It is safe to say that Operation Epic Fury was a resounding success," she said.
However, doubts about the legality and adequacy of the operation against Iran are expressed even in the United States itself. For example, former Pentagon expert Wes Bryant, quoted by The Guardian, said that the sinking of an Iranian warship in neutral waters is "an incredibly dangerous example of excessive military intervention."
Alexander Kondratiev
