Hegseth says US sub sank Iranian warship off Sri Lanka
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath had previously told parliament that there were 180 people on the Iranian ship, which she identified as IRIS Dena.
A ship named IRINS Dena will participate in a naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to 25, according to the exercise’s website.
Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said that bodies were recovered from the sea in the incident area.
32 people rescued by the Sri Lankan navy were treated at the hospital in the southern port city of Galle.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine provides an update on Operation Epic Fury. pic.twitter.com/gdrYxAI3Sw? CSPAN (@cspan) March 4, 2026
He said the navy received a distress call from an Iranian ship and informed the Sri Lankan air force, and both launched a search and rescue operation.
At a briefing at the Pentagon on Wednesday, Hegseth said Tuesday night’s attack on an Iranian warship was the first attack on an enemy since World War II.
“An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said.
“Instead it was sunk by a torpedo.”
Sampath said that the rescue boats that reached the area did not see the ship and only observed the oil slick, adding that the incident took place outside Sri Lankan waters, but the country was still determined to provide support.
He said Sri Lankan forces were focusing on saving lives on the Iranian ship and would investigate the cause of the incident later.
He added that Sri Lankan forces did not observe any other ships or aircraft in the incident area.
“We hope we can save more people and we will continue (operations) until we are sure,” Sampath said.
Meanwhile, the Turkish defense ministry said that NATO air and missile defense systems deployed in the Eastern Mediterranean destroyed a ballistic missile launched from Iran that entered Turkish airspace after passing through Syria and Iraq.
This event marks the first time that Iran’s northwestern neighbor, NATO member Türkiye, has been drawn into the growing conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel, which now includes many countries in the region.
The Ministry said, “We warn all parties to avoid actions that will lead to further escalation of conflicts in the region. In this context, we will continue to consult with NATO and our other allies.” The ministry said, adding that there was no loss of life or injury.
A missile launched from Iran, passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace and heading towards the airspace in the Hatay region was destroyed by NATO air defense systems. Part of an interceptor missile. Located in an area in Hatay Dörtyol. Is there any loss possible? do you do sports? https://t.co/FxFPUzoWnX? Burhanettin Duran (@burhanduran) March 4, 2026
In the statement, “All necessary steps will be taken decisively and without hesitation to defend our land and airspace. We remind all parties that we reserve the right to respond to any hostile action against our country.”
The first two statements by senior Turkish officials on the incident made no mention of NATO’s Article 4, which states that allies “shall consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of a member is threatened.”
Presidential official Burhanettin Duran, in his statement to the X channel, said that the missile, which was detected passing through Iraqi and Syrian airspace, was “neutralized” by NATO systems.
Turkish officials said that parts of the air defense missile that intercepted the ballistic missile fell in the Dörtyol district of Hatay province in southeastern Türkiye.
With AP and DPA
