An Iranian naval vessel was sunk by a U.S. submarine near Sri Lanka, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday, describing the strike as the first time since World War II that the United States has destroyed an enemy ship with a torpedo.

The incident left significant casualties among the crew of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena. According to officials in Sri Lanka’s navy and defense ministry speaking to Reuters, one sailor was confirmed dead, 78 were injured, and at least 101 others were initially reported missing after the ship went down.

The IRIS Dena was a heavily armed warship equipped with large-caliber guns, surface-to-air missile systems, anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes. The vessel also had the capability to carry a helicopter as part of its operations.

Reports indicated that the frigate, which had a crew of roughly 180 sailors, transmitted a distress signal early in the morning shortly before the sinking.

Speaking to reporters during a briefing, Hegseth confirmed the strike and described how the Iranian vessel was destroyed. “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” Hegseth told reporters at a press briefing.

The defense secretary characterized the attack as swift and silent. He described it as a “quiet death.” He also emphasized the historic nature of the strike, explaining that it marked the first time since World War II that an American submarine had sunk an enemy ship with a torpedo, adding: “Like in that war, we are fighting to win.”

Earlier Wednesday, the U.S. military said it had already destroyed 17 Iranian vessels as part of its broader campaign, stating that the objective is the destruction of “the entire navy.” The Israel Defense Forces also said that the American military had assumed full responsibility for operations targeting Iran’s naval activities.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said authorities in the island nation carried out a rescue effort and managed to save 32 sailors who were badly wounded aboard the IRIS Dena. The warship sank just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

Herath said two Sri Lankan naval ships and an aircraft were dispatched to conduct the rescue operation. He did not provide details about the cause of the warship’s sinking.

Sri Lanka’s defense ministry said search teams were looking for more than 100 additional crew members from the IRIS Dena. The vessel went down approximately 40 kilometers (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 told AFP, suggesting that hopes of locating more survivors were fading.

However, a spokesman for the Sri Lankan navy later disputed the earlier report about 101 missing sailors. He told Reuters that 32 injured crew members had been rescued from the scene by Sri Lankan naval forces.

Navy spokesman Buddhika Sampath said the rescue operation was conducted in accordance with Sri Lanka’s international maritime responsibilities. He added that the 32 Iranian sailors who were recovered were transported to the main hospital in Galle, located about 115 kilometers (70 miles) south of the capital, Colombo.

Security was increased outside the Galle hospital as the wounded sailors arrived under the care of local authorities.

“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.

During a parliamentary session, an opposition lawmaker asked whether the Iranian vessel had been struck as part of the ongoing U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran. Sri Lankan officials did not immediately respond to the question.

Both the Sri Lankan navy and air force said they would not release video or images from the rescue operation, explaining that the incident involved the military forces of another country.

{Matzav.com}