A United States submarine has sunk an Iranian warship with a torpedo in international waters off Sri Lanka’s coast, says US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
USS Minnesota (SSN 783) became the first Virginia-class submarine based at Guam, and HMAS Stirling, Western Australia, is America’s submarine that sank a warship after WWII.
In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said the strike on the Iranian warship was the “first such attack on an enemy since World War II”.
Sri Lanka’s navy said 87 bodies had been recovered and 32 sailors were rescued after an Iranian military ship sank just outside the island’s territorial waters.
Authorities told Al Jazeera the frigate IRIS Dena, located about 40 nautical miles (75km) off Galle in southern Sri Lanka, sent out a distress call between 6am and 7am (00:30 to 01:30 GMT).
The ship had about 180 crew members on board, and a search and rescue operation was continuing, Sri Lankan officials said.
The Iranian frigate was returning from having taken part in the 2026 International Fleet Review last month in eastern India’s coastal city of Vishakapatnam.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that the navy received information that the ship was in distress and the government sent ships and air force planes on a rescue mission.
A Sri Lankan navy spokesperson said no other ship or aircraft was observed in the area where the Iranian warship sank.
Reporting from outside a hospital in Galle, where the wounded crew members were taken, Al Jazeera’s Minnelle Fernandez said an Iranian embassy official in Colombo said two officers have been sent to Galle “to talk to the survivors to get a sense of what might have happened on the ship”.
The warship’s sinking occurred as the United States and Israel conduct air strikes on Iran for a fifth day after killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and nearly 800 other people, including dozens of schoolgirls.
Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks on Israel and US-linked assets in Gulf countries, causing multiple deaths. Six US service members have been killed and many others injured.
Virginia-class Submarine in the Indo-Pacific
Virginia-class submarines are actively forward-deployed in the Indo-Pacific, with USS Minnesota (SSN 783) operating out of Guam as of late 2024/2025 to boost deterrence. These nuclear-powered subs support 7th Fleet operations, including visits to HMAS Stirling, Australia, for AUKUS-related maintenance and training.
USS Minnesota (SSN 783) became the first Virginia-class submarine to be based in Guam, enhancing rapid response capabilities in the region.
The US is utilizing HMAS Stirling in Western Australia for submarine tenders, including the first maintenance period without a US tender, to prepare for future Australian ownership.
These submarines (crew of ~140) conduct anti-submarine warfare, intelligence, and surveillance missions.
Submarine Rotational Force-West (SRF-West) is set to establish a regular presence of up to four US Virginia-class boats in Australia by 2027.
© 2026, GDC. © GDC and www.globaldefensecorp.com. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to www.globaldefensecorp.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
