US Sinks Iranian Warship

U.S. forces sank an Iranian warship in the wider Middle East campaign, with some reporting identifying the vessel as the Dena.

“US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said more United States forces are arriving in the Middle East, as the country’s war against Iran intensifies amid mounting concerns over the civilian toll of US-Israeli strikes”

Al Jazeera

Officials said a single Mark 48 torpedo fired from a fast-attack submarine struck the vessel.

Al Jazeera

Sri Lankan authorities later reported rescuing survivors while many sailors remained missing.

FlightGlobal’s coverage placed the action within a larger naval tally, reporting that CENTCOM said the campaign "targeted Iran’s navy" and that Cooper says 17 ships were destroyed, including a converted drone-carrier container ship and Tehran’s only operational submarine.

The Express Tribune similarly reported that a U.S. submarine had torpedoed and sunk an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean and quoted Sri Lankan authorities as saying they rescued 32 crew, that 148 sailors remained missing, and that some bodies were recovered.

The sinking was part of a massive, coordinated U.S.–Israeli air-and-naval campaign dubbed Epic Fury.

CENTCOM's commander said the campaign struck more than 2,000 Iranian targets with about 2,000 munitions in the first 100 hours and employed an unprecedented force posture in the region.

Boston Herald

FlightGlobal described the operation as using a combat force of over 200 fighters, two aircraft carriers and multiple bombers, and said it was the first use in the conflict of all three U.S. bomber types.

The Express Tribune and U.S. officials framed the naval and air strikes as aimed at degrading Iran's military reach.

The Pentagon has said one aim of the campaign is to destroy Iran's navy.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told media the campaign is 'just getting started'.

Reports say Iran responded with a large missile-and-drone barrage targeting Gulf states and U.S. assets.

“• Strikes target leadership: US President Donald Trump said Iran’s air force and navy had been “knocked out” and that strikes targeted Iranian leadership”

CNN International

Some outlets reported that Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and well over a thousand drones.

FlightGlobal reported that Iran 'has fired over 500 ballistic missiles and about 2,000 drones at neighboring countries—mainly against civilian areas.'

The Express Tribune noted that 'US and Israeli strikes on Iran have prompted Iran to launch hundreds of missiles and more than 1,000 drones at Gulf states allied with Washington.'

WHEC's local reporting recorded that 'Iran responded by firing dozens of ballistic missiles at Israel and launching drone attacks across the Gulf.'

The outlets' reported tallies differ and are not identical across these accounts.

The exchanges have degraded regional commerce and infrastructure and forced market reactions and diplomatic protests.

WHEC reported the violence "disrupted tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing Brent crude to about $84 a barrel — more than a 15% rise since the conflict began and the highest level since July 2024."

Dawn

The Express Tribune quoted intelligence assessments that Iranian drone attacks "could disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz for months."

Both outlets noted physical damage despite many interceptions.

"Most incoming weapons have been intercepted, but some residential and commercial buildings, infrastructure and US bases have been damaged," The Express Tribune reported.

FlightGlobal also highlighted that many strikes have hit "mainly against civilian areas," underscoring the civilian impact reported across the region.

The military campaign and the sinking have sharpened political rhetoric and drawn international criticism.

“US B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers strike Iran targets in Epic Fury operation All three US Air Force (USAF) bomber types have seen action against Iran, with a senior US commander saying that Iran’s ability to strike back is being diminished”

FlightGlobal

WHEC reported U.S. presidential messages shifting: "After initially urging Iranians to overthrow their government, President Trump and senior U.S. officials later said regime change was not an official objective; Trump suggested someone "from within" Iran might best take power post-war."

France 24

Russia and other states publicly condemned the strikes, with The Express Tribune reporting: "Russia condemned the attacks, accusing the US of using an "imaginary" Iranian threat as a pretext for regime change, and denounced what it called the "cynical murder" of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei."

Domestically, The New York Times captured U.S. partisan concern: "Democrats warned that he is ignoring lessons from the long, bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and said 'the American people have seen this playbook before,'" reflecting political debate inside the United States.