‘Bit of treachery’: US attack on IRIS Dena undermines Indian security ties
Image: The Guardian

‘Bit of treachery’: US attack on IRIS Dena undermines Indian security ties

15 March, 2026.Asia.1 sources

Key Takeaways

  • Distress call logged for a vessel near Galle, Sri Lanka, within rescue range.
  • Sri Lanka Navy dispatched rescue boats; first on scene by 6am.
  • The article portrays the US attack on IRIS Dena as undermining Indian security ties.

Sinking and casualties

It had taken under three minutes for Dena to sink after it was struck by the world’s most powerful torpedo, a Mark 48, launched by the US navy nuclear-powered submarine USS Charlotte lurking silently nearby.

The distress call came in to Sri Lanka’s maritime rescue coordination centre just after 5am

The GuardianThe Guardian

At least 84 people onboard were killed – their bodies were repatriated to Iran this week – in an attack that brought the US war on Iran to the Indian Ocean.

Image from The Guardian
The GuardianThe Guardian

Invited for Visakhapatnam fleet review

Dena had been invited to the region by India, to take part in the pomp and splendour of an international fleet review in the eastern port of Visakhapatnam.

A routine event for the navies of the world to show off their ships and share training exercises, Iran was one of more than 70 countries that participated over the 10 days, alongside the US, Australia and Russia.

Image from The Guardian
The GuardianThe Guardian

Three days later, the US and Israel began bombing Iran.

Regional reaction and implications

The attack on the warship left senior military figures and analysts in the region stunned, provoking fears that Donald Trump’s Middle East war will have wider ramifications for the geopolitically sensitive Indian Ocean region.

The distress call came in to Sri Lanka’s maritime rescue coordination centre just after 5am

The GuardianThe Guardian

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