The U.S. Defense Secretary admitted that a U.S. submarine fired torpedoes that sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, with over 148 people still missing. He boasted it was the first ship sunk by a submarine since World War II.
On 4 Mar 2026, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth revealed in a press conference that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters. Hegseth noted this was the first time since World War II that an enemy ship was sunk by torpedoes.
"An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that believed it was safe in international waters," Hegseth said during a Pentagon press briefing. "But in reality, it was sunk by torpedoes," he added, emphasizing, "This is the first use of torpedoes to sink an enemy ship since World War II."
Furthermore, Hegseth stated that the U.S. military also sank another Iranian ship named "Soleimani," a significant vessel named after former General Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran's Quds Force, who was killed by U.S. forces during President Donald Trump's first term.
"I think the president dealt with him twice," Hegseth said, referring to the case of Soleimani.
Previously, reports indicated that the Iranian navy frigate "IRIS Dena" sank in the sea off Sri Lanka's coast on Wednesday, 4 Mar 2026. The Sri Lankan navy confirmed they rescued 32 survivors amid reports of an explosion before the ship sank in the early morning.
Sri Lankan foreign ministry and security officials stated that hopes of finding the 148 missing crew members are fading.
Initially, Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Puththa Sampath told the BBC that claims the ship sank due to a submarine attack were denied, contradicting Hegseth's statements.
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Source:CNN