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<\/a>U.S Navy torpedoed and sank an Iranian Naval Frigate in international waters, 40 nm south of Galle, Sri Lanka, with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirming that American forces had carried out the deadly attack.<\/p>\n
The frigate, IRIS Dena, was returning to Iran after participating in naval exercises in India and had 180 sailors, of whom 87 were killed in the incident, 32 were rescued, and dozens are still missing.<\/p>\n
This is the first time that an American submarine sank an enemy vessel using a torpedo since the Second World War, which has broadened the area of conflict to the Indian Ocean, raising serious concerns about maritime and regional stability.<\/p>\n
The IRIS Dena is a Moudge-class vessel of the Iranian Navy\u2019s Southern Fleet, which was returning from the MILAN exercise held in India\u2019s Visakhapatnam.<\/p>\n
It sent a distress call after dawn when it was struck by a torpedo fired by a U.S fast-attack submarine.<\/p>\n
The Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force launched a massive search-and-rescue operation after receiving the distress call.<\/p>\n
Commander Buddhika Sampath of the Sri Lankan Navy said that the rescue units saw an oil patch and debris, indicating that the frigate had already sunk by the time help arrived.<\/p>\n
The injured were taken to Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle, while 60 crew members remain unaccounted for.<\/p>\n
Sri Lanka has maintained a position of neutrality in the Middle East conflict and reinstated its commitment to humanitarian assistance.<\/p>\n
Experts argue that the spillover of conflict into the Indian Ocean is a major turning point, as conflict between Iran and the West was largely confined to the Persian Gulf, and few had expected a confrontation.<\/p>\n
The Iranian frigate\u2019s sinking far from the theatre of operations raises grave concerns about maritime security and the application of international maritime law.<\/p>\n
This development could also affect countries such as India and Sri Lanka, which maintain amicable relations with both the West and the Middle East.<\/p>\n
The incident is tragic and highlights the devastating human cost of the conflict.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n