NEW DELHI: The US attack on an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean this week was the first time since World War Two that the United States has sunk an enemy vessel with a torpedo.
The following details are based on accounts from Sri Lankan, US and Iranian officials of the March 4 incident, part of US and Israeli attacks on Iran and its military assets.
Current status of relief and rescue
The Sri Lankan Navy launched a search-and-rescue operation after receiving a distress call from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena early on Wednesday (Mar 4).
By the time rescuers reached the area, the ship had already sunk, leaving only an oil slick on the surface. The vessel had about 130 people on board.
Sri Lanka recovered the bodies of 87 sailors and rescued 32, who were being treated for minor injuries and were expected to be released from hospital on Thursday. Search operations were continuing for an estimated 10 crew members who remain unaccounted for.
What was the ship doing in waters off Sri Lanka?
The ship sank within Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone, about 19 nautical miles off the southern port city of Galle, after coming under attack from a US submarine.
Dena was returning to Iran after taking part in a naval exercise in India from February 16 to February 26, held off the southern Indian city of Visakhapatnam.
The Iranian vessel was among 18 foreign warships participating in the biennial MILAN exercise, alongside ships from Sri Lanka, Australia, Japan and Russia. Officials from more than 70 countries attended, including representatives from the United States and Britain.
India described the exercise as one of the largest multilateral naval drills in the Indo-Pacific, aimed at strengthening interoperability, maritime domain awareness and collective response capabilities.
Reactions to the sinking
India’s navy had welcomed Dena’s arrival as a reflection of the "long-standing cultural links between the two nations”. Since the sinking, videos have circulated of Iranian sailors marching through the streets of Visakhapatnam during exercise events.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on X that Dena was "a guest of India’s Navy” and was struck without warning in international waters. He said the US "will bitterly regret the precedent it has set".
New Delhi has not officially commented on the attack, though many in India have praised southern neighbour Sri Lanka for its role in the rescue.
India’s main opposition Congress party criticised the government’s silence, saying the conflict had "reached our backyard” and questioning New Delhi’s role as a "net security provider” in the Indian Ocean region. - Reuters
