Sri Lankan Rescue Efforts Underway as Iranian Frigate Sinks Off Coast in Suspected U.S. Submarine Strike.

Sri Lankan Rescue Efforts Underway as Iranian Frigate Sinks Off Coast in Suspected U.S. Submarine Strike. 

Nearly 150 sailors are missing and several are confirmed dead after an Iranian warship sank in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka’s southern coast on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, following what U.S. officials confirmed was a torpedo strike by an American submarine.The vessel, identified as the IRIS Dena, a Moudge-class frigate, went down approximately 40 nautical miles (75 km) off Galle after sending a distress call around 6-7 a.m. local time, according to Sri Lankan authorities. The incident occurred in international waters as the ship was reportedly heading back toward Iran.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike during a Pentagon briefing, describing it as the first sinking of an enemy warship by a U.S. torpedo since World War II. “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” Hegseth said. He added that the Iranian navy had been effectively “decimated, destroyed” and now “rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf.” 

Sri Lanka’s navy launched an immediate search-and-rescue operation, recovering 32 wounded sailors from the water and transporting them to a hospital in Galle for treatment. Several bodies have also been recovered, with Sri Lankan officials reporting at least 80 deaths in the strike according to the country’s deputy foreign minister. Hopes are fading for the remaining crew; the frigate was believed to have around 180 personnel aboard, leaving roughly 148 still unaccounted for.

The sinking comes amid the fifth day of escalating U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran under Operation Epic Fury. Hegseth, speaking alongside Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, described the early results of the campaign as “astonishing” and reiterated that additional U.S. troops and assets are being rushed to the Middle East. 

The Pentagon has not provided further details on the submarine involved or the exact timing of the torpedo launch.Sri Lankan officials stressed they had no prior warning of the operation and are treating the incident as a humanitarian rescue effort. “We are doing everything possible to locate the missing sailors,” a navy spokesman said, noting an oil slick was the only trace remaining at the site when rescue boats arrived.

The development marks a dramatic expansion of the conflict beyond the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz. Iran has not yet issued an official statement on the loss of the IRIS Dena, though state media earlier vowed retaliation for any attacks on its naval forces. The warship was one of Iran’s more modern surface combatants and had been operating in the Indian Ocean in recent weeks.The incident has triggered concern in Colombo over potential fallout for regional shipping and Sri Lanka’s neutral stance in the Middle East crisis. Rescue operations continue, with additional vessels and aircraft deployed, though officials warned that rough seas and the depth of the sinking site may limit further recoveries.This is a developing story. U.S. Central Command and Iranian officials have yet to release full casualty figures or additional operational details.