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No fewer than 140 persons have been reported missing after a United States submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, according to official statements and regional naval sources.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the attack, stating that an American submarine targeted and destroyed the vessel with a torpedo.
“In the Indian Ocean, we sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo.”
He did not disclose the name of the vessel involved in the strike.
However, the Sri Lankan Navy earlier reported that the Iranian naval ship IRIS Dena went down off the coast of Galle in the Indian Ocean.
The vessel was said to have about 140 personnel on board at the time of the incident, all of whom are currently unaccounted for.
The development marks a significant escalation in the already tense regional standoff involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
Separately, Israel said it carried out fresh strikes on what it described as “security headquarters” in Tehran as part of ongoing air operations inside Iran. Residents in the capital reported deteriorating conditions amid sustained bombardment.
A three-day funeral ceremony for Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, earlier scheduled to commence in the evening, was postponed due to the intensifying strikes.
The conflict also appears to be spreading beyond Iran’s borders. Israeli forces reportedly conducted strikes in Lebanon, including an attack that hit a hotel owned by a Lebanese businessman.
Reports further indicated that new attacks believed to have originated from Iran were recorded in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Turkey also stated that “NATO defences” intercepted and shot down an Iranian missile.
140 persons reported missing after US submarine sinks Iranian warship
