WASHINGTON / GALLE, Sri Lanka: An Iranian warship sank off Sri Lanka’s southern coast after a reported strike by a US military submarine, leaving more than 100 crew members feared missing, according to US officials and Sri Lankan authorities.
Three US officials told Reuters that the United States carried out a strike on the Iranian vessel in the Indian Ocean. One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the operation involved a US military submarine targeting the ship.
Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the vessel, identified as IRIS Dena, later sank in waters off the island nation’s southern coastline.
Sri Lankan rescue teams have so far saved 32 crew members, while several bodies have been recovered from the sea. Defence sources in Sri Lanka said at least 101 people were believed to be missing following the incident near the southern port city of Galle.
However, a spokesman for the Sri Lankan navy said the exact number of missing personnel could not yet be confirmed and rejected some reports circulating about the scale of casualties.
The spokesman said the navy received a distress call from an Iranian vessel and immediately coordinated with the Sri Lankan air force to launch a search-and-rescue operation.
The rescued crew members, many of whom were injured, were taken to a state-run hospital in Galle for medical treatment.
Rescue efforts continue off Sri Lanka’s southern coast
Sri Lankan authorities said their immediate priority is to save survivors and assess the situation at sea.
“We are hopeful we can rescue more people and will continue operations until we are sure,” a navy spokesman said.
He added that Sri Lankan forces had not observed any other ships or aircraft in the vicinity at the time of the incident. Officials said the cause of the sinking would be investigated after rescue operations conclude.
Warship had recently participated in Indian naval event
Regional defence sources said the Iranian frigate had recently departed from India after participating in a fleet review.
Open-source maritime tracking and defence analysts also indicated that the vessel had been operating in the Indian Ocean before the incident occurred.
The reported strike comes amid escalating tensions involving the United States and Iran across several regions, with recent confrontations and military incidents drawing international attention to the stability of key maritime routes.
Authorities in Sri Lanka said search operations would continue as naval and air units scan the surrounding waters for survivors and debris from the sunken vessel.
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