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Reports: U.S. sinks IRIS Dena
Multiple U.S. and international outlets report that a U.S. attack submarine fired a torpedo and sank an Iranian frigate identified as the IRIS Dena in international waters off Sri Lanka.
“A U.S. submarine fired a torpedo that sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, calling the vessel a "prize ship."”
The ship sent a distress call roughly 40 nautical miles (about 40 km) off Galle before the strike.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is quoted as saying a U.S. submarine carried out the strike.
Sources say the Pentagon released imagery or video showing an underwater explosion and the ship breaking apart.
Sri Lanka casualty reports
Sri Lankan authorities and multiple news organizations report recoveries, rescues and conflicting casualty figures.
Several outlets quote Sri Lanka’s navy and health officials saying dozens of bodies were recovered and dozens of sailors were rescued and taken to Galle for treatment.
Different tallies appear in reporting and officials’ statements.
Some sources say 87 bodies were recovered and 32 survivors rescued from about 180 aboard.
Other Sri Lankan officials gave estimates of roughly 80 dead or reported dozens missing, leaving the precise casualty and missing counts unclear.
Dena frigate and sanctions
Reporting emphasizes the Dena’s status as a relatively new, heavily armed Moudge‑class frigate that had recently made international port calls and sailed alongside Iran’s large support ship IRIS Makran.
“The IRIS Dena is a Moudge-class frigate (armed with guns, SAMs, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and a helicopter) that had toured internationally in 2023 with the support ship IRIS Makran; both ships were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in February 2023.”
Several outlets note the Dena and Makran were previously sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in February 2023.
Journalists and officials describe the Dena as equipped with guns, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and a helicopter, underlining the ship’s combat capabilities.
U.S. framing of Dena sinking
U.S. officials framed the sinking as part of an expanded campaign to degrade Iranian naval capabilities.
Senior U.S. leaders described the action as historically significant and characterised the Dena as a "prize ship."
Multiple sources quote U.S. military leaders saying the strike is part of broader U.S.-Israeli operations and note U.S. claims that many Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed in recent actions.
Several outlets also report statements from U.S. political leaders identifying the weakening or elimination of Iran’s navy as an explicit objective.
Warnings about disinformation
At the same time, numerous outlets and fact-checking-minded publications warned about competing claims, disinformation and unverified or inconsistent reporting surrounding the strike and related episodes in the wider confrontation.
“Those assertions contain implausible or inaccurate details (there is no U.S. "Secretary of War," the named individuals are not recognized officials) and are unverified—treat them as unconfirmed or potentially false; there is no DoD or mainstream-media confirmation for the Shahid Soleimani claim.”
Some commentators and alternative outlets made sweeping or implausible assertions, including misnamed officials or unverified ship identities.
Other outlets explicitly cautioned these assertions were unverified or misleading, and several news organizations urged waiting for official confirmations and investigations.