Sri Lanka stated that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday night (March 3). At least 80 people died in the incident. U.S. Secretary of Defense Hagsees confirmed the news on Wednesday (March 4). He emphasized that this was the first time the U.S. had used torpedoes to sink an enemy warship since World War II.
Hagsees announced in the Pentagon on Wednesday about the U.S. military’s “Epic Fury” operation against Iran, stating that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship near the southern coast of Sri Lanka, significantly expanding the U.S.’s strike range against the Iranian navy.
“A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship, which thought it was safe in international waters,” he said. “As a result, it was silently ‘sent to the depths’ by a torpedo.”
“The Iranian navy now lies at the bottom of the Persian Gulf,” he added. “This marks the first time since World War II that the U.S. has used torpedoes to sink an enemy vessel.”
Sri Lanka’s Deputy Foreign Minister reported that at least 80 individuals died in the attack on the Iranian frigate “IRIS Dena,” as it was returning to Iran from a port in eastern India. The Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, Vijitha Herath, informed the parliament that there were a total of 180 individuals on board the warship.
During a press conference at the Pentagon, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine stated on Wednesday that a U.S. submarine used a Mark 48 torpedo to sink the Iranian warship. “This unbelievably demonstrates the U.S.’s capability to hunt down, detect, and sink enemy vessels on a global scale,” he said.
Sri Lanka Navy spokesperson Budhika Sampath mentioned that several bodies have been retrieved so far, believed to be crew members of the Iranian warship.
Caine reported that the U.S. military has targeted over 2,000 Iranian objectives. More than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed, including a submarine, severely weakening Iran’s naval power in the region.
Hagsees vowed on Wednesday to escalate military pressure on Iran. “We are just getting started. We are accelerating, not slowing down,” he stated.