Iranian warship sunk by submarine off Sri Lanka
4th March 2026
An Iranian warship has been sunk by a submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka.
At least 101 people are missing, with one dead and 78 injured, Sri Lanka’s navy and defence ministry said.
It was not immediately clear who had attacked the ship, which the Sri Lankan authorities identified as the IRIS Dena.
The vessel was armed with heavy guns, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes and could carry a helicopter.
Earlier, the US military said it had already destroyed 17 Iranian vessels and that its goal was sinking “the entire navy”.
Sri Lanka’s foreign minister said its navy had responded to a ?distress call from the ship and launched rescue operations at 6am (12.30am UK).
UPDATE: US submarine sank Iran’s warship off Sri Lanka coast, says Hegseth