A US submarine has torpedoed and sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, reportedly leaving at least 87 sailors dead.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Iranian vessel “thought it was safe in international waters” before it was blasted apart by a torpedo fired from an American sub.He told a briefing the strike marked “the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two.”
“Like in that war… we are fighting to win,” Hegseth said.“We have collected 87 bodies, and a search is still on for the others who are still missing,” a navy official told AFP.
Authorities say 61 sailors remain unaccounted for.
And 32 people have been rescued and are receiving treatment at a hospital in the city of Galle.
The Iranian vessel was heading back to Iran from a port in eastern India when it was hit in the Indian Ocean, according to officials.Early reports suggested around 140 crew were missing after the blast tore through the warship, sparking a desperate rescue operation at sea.
The Pentagon chief also warned the dramatic underwater ambush is only the beginning of a brutal campaign against Iran.
Hegseth added the US was striking Iran “while they’re down”, warning: “More and larger waves are coming, we are just getting started.”
He also claimed American forces had killed the leader of an Iranian unit accused of plotting to assassinate Donald Trump.
“Also yesterday, the leader of the unit who attempted to assassinate President Trump has been hunted down and killed,” he said.
“Iran tried to kill President Trump. And President Trump got the last laugh.”
Sri Lanka’s defence ministry said earlier today it was still searching for other unaccounted crew, after the ship was downed around 25 miles south of the island.
“We are keeping up a search, but we don’t know yet what happened to the rest of the crew,” an official said.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said 32 “critically injured” Iranian sailors were taken to a major hospital in Galle, 115 kilometres south of the capital Colombo.The 180-crew frigate, serving in the Southern Fleet of the Iranian Navy, issued a distress call on Wednesday morning.
Two Sri Lankan navy vessels and an aircraft were deployed for the rescue operation.
Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said their operation was in line with Sri Lanka’s maritime obligations.
“We responded to the distress call under our international obligations, as this is within our search and rescue area in the Indian Ocean,” Sampath told AFP.
Local police have stepped up security outside the Galle hospital as the wounded Iranians were brought in by the local navy.
It comes as the US-Israeli war with Iran enters its fifth day, with Israel launching a massive “wave” of strikes in Iran.
Iran have bombarded US bases across the Middle East in retaliatory attacks after the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday amid Operation Epic Fury.
The US Consulate in Dubai was struck by a drone overnight while a CIA station in Saudi was reportedly hit in a separate strike.
Earlier, two other suspected Iranian drones hit the heart of Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter.
The US Embassy in Kuwait City was also struck by drones on Monday.
The barrage has forced Gulf states to burn through their defensive stockpiles at breakneck speed, sparking fears they may soon run out.
As explosions ripple across the region, desperate Brits are racing to reach the first UK evacuation flight leaving Oman tonight.
A Government-chartered plane will depart Muscat International Airport at 11pm local time (7pm GMT), prioritising the most vulnerable passengers.
Inside Iran, officials say they are “close” to choosing Khamenei’s successor, with his 56-year-old son emerging as the frontrunner.A senior Iranian adviser has said Tehran will not negotiate with Washington and can continue the war “as long as we want”.
President Trump has previously suggested the conflict could last up to four weeks.
