On Wednesday, the United States sank the Iranian ship “Iris Dina” in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka. At least 87 sailors died, and 32 survivors were rescued by Sri Lankan authorities. The ship left India after participating in the international fleet review just a few days ago.
Sources within the Indian government confirmed that the warship and its crew were not their guests after its departure on February 25.
A US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate, and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the target. During a press conference, Hegseth told the media that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship “that it thought was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo, resulting in a quiet death.”
Timeline of sinking
The IRIS Dena was received by the Indian Navy on February 16 after its arrival in the country to participate in the multilateral naval exercise, Milan 2026. The Eastern Naval Command, in a social media post, described it as a reflection of the long-standing cultural connection “between India and Iran.
Read also: What led to the sinking of the Iranian warship Iris Dina returning from India?
The ship left India on February 28 and was outside Indian territory at the time it was hit. Sources also confirmed to HT that the ship did not seek any help from India after the declaration of war on February 28.
The United States and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran, which also led to the killing of its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. After that, Tehran began targeting US military bases throughout the Middle East.
As tensions escalated, on March 4, the United States torpedoed the Iranian ship off the coast of Sri Lanka.
Also Read: IRIS Dena was not ‘India’s guest’ after leaving on February 25: Government sources
The Sri Lanka Navy said it received a distress signal from the ship at 5:08 a.m. on March 4. There were 180 people on board the Iranian warship.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi condemned the attack and said that Iris Dina was injured “without warning.” Araqchi added in a post on the X website that “the United States will deeply regret the precedent it has set.”
IRIS Dena was one of Iran’s newest warships. The Mudge-class frigate was patrolling the deep waters for the Iranian Navy and was armed with heavy guns, missiles and torpedoes.
