International
87 Killed As US Sinks Iran Ship Headed Back From India After Naval Exercise
New Delhi, March 5: At least 87 people were killed after a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, news agency AFP reported today. The warship, IRIS Dena, had participated in a naval exercise in India just weeks ago.
IRIS Dena, a Moudge class frigate, also came to India in 2024 to participate in the multilateral naval exercise MILAN, the same exercise’s 2026 edition from where it sailed home today when the US submarine attacked it.
While the US has not confirmed the number of dead, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the submarine strike and touted it as evidence of America’s global reach in its war on Iran.
“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.
The US Department of War released a black and white video of what looked like a submarine periscope and an explosion in the distance. It is unprecedented for any military to release near realtime visuals of a submarine kill. This shows the manner in which wars are fought and information is shared have seen massive changes.
The Iranian warship likely did not detect the US submarine even in periscope depth, which spoke a lot about the capabilities of the American submarine’s tactics.