Iranian Warship Destroyed Off Sri Lanka: Video Captures First US Submarine Torpedo Kill Since WWII (WATCH)

The Pentagon has confirmed that a US Navy submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka. This marks a significant escalation of the Middle East conflict.

A United States Navy submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka late Tuesday night, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed, marking a dramatic escalation in hostilities linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Hegseth said the strike targeted an Iranian frigate that was operating near Sri Lanka's coastline in international waters.

"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo," he said, confirming that the US was directly responsible for the attack.

As per Sri Lanka's deputy foreign minister, at least ​80 people killed ​in the US submarine strike. Earlier authorities said they had rescued 32 crew members from the frigate IRIS Dena but that 148 other sailors were missing, with hopes low that any more would be found.

A Strike Far From the Middle East

While the war has largely played out in the Middle East, this attack unfolded thousands of kilometres away, near the busy sea lanes south of Sri Lanka.

Hegseth called the attack "quiet death" and the first US sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.

"Like in that war," he said, "we are fighting to win."

The Pentagon says one of the main aims of the US-Israeli war against Iran, launched Saturday, is to wipe out the country's navy.

Distress Call Before Dawn

Sri Lanka was drawn into the unfolding crisis when its coastguard received a distress signal at 5:08 am on Wednesday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath said the call came from the Iranian vessel Iris Dena, with crew members describing an explosion onboard.

"By 6am we dispatched a naval vessel and by 7am the second naval vessel," Herath said, noting that Sri Lanka was obliged to respond under international maritime search and rescue conventions.

The incident occurred about 44 nautical miles (81 kilometres) off the southern city of Galle, outside Sri Lanka's territorial waters but within its exclusive economic zone.

A Modern Warship Lost

The Iris Dena was among the newest frigates in Iran's naval fleet. Equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedo launchers, cannons and machine guns, it represented a key asset in Iran's maritime capabilities.

Reports suggest the vessel may have been returning from an international fleet review hosted by the Indian Navy last week when it was struck.

Rising Global Tensions

The submarine strike comes amid escalating hostilities following joint US and Israeli operations against Iran over the weekend. Analysts say the attack could mark a dangerous turning point, expanding the conflict's geography and raising concerns over global shipping routes in the Indian Ocean.

For Sri Lanka, located along some of the world's busiest maritime corridors, the incident underscores how global power struggles can quickly spill into regional waters.

(With inputs from AFP)