https://t.co/PiqQpVIrMu pic.twitter.com/Wc1e0B0um7

— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) March 4, 2026

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth today confirmed that the US sank “an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters” in the Indian Ocean.

“Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo,” he says.

But earlier the Sri Lankan navy reported the IRIS Dena went down in the Indian Ocean, with around 180 people believed to be on board.

Hegseth did not name the Iranian ship that was attacked.

“In the Indian Ocean—an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship, that thought it was safe in international waters. 

Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo—Quiet Death.

The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War 2. Like in that war—back when we were still the War Department—we are fighting to win,” Hegseth told reporters. 

Sri Lanka Navy had earlier confirmed that it rescued 32 people after it received a distress call from Iranian navy ship “IRIS Dena” early this morning. They have been admitted to the Galle National Hospital. 

Speaking at a special press briefing today (04), the Navy Media Spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath stated that the primary focus of the operation was to save lives.

He also says that according to the documentation of the ship 180 people are believed to have been on board, although the exact number of missing is unknown.

The spokesman says at the time of launching the rescue operations they did not see the vessel but saw oil patches on the water and floating life rafts.

--With Agencies Inputs