Iran’s Navy’s warship IRIS Dena had recently returned after participating in the international naval event organized in Visakhapatnam, India, when a major military incident took place in the Indian Ocean. This ship sank in a torpedo attack by an American submarine near the southern coast of Sri Lanka. This incident has increased the concerns of India’s strategic and security experts, because the warship which had participated in India’s naval event a few days ago, has now sunk into the depths of the sea.
Why did IRIS Dena come to India?
IRIS Dena was a Moudge class frigate of the Iranian Navy. This ship had come to participate in two major naval events organized in India in February. The first was the International Fleet Review 2026 and the second was the multinational naval exercise MILAN 2026. Both the events were held in Visakhapatnam.
Navies of many countries of the world took part in these events and more than 80 warships were seen together in the sea. The objective of this program was to showcase maritime cooperation and naval diplomacy. This naval parade was reviewed by Draupadi Murmu.
Attack occurred near Sri Lanka while returning
After the program ended, IRIS Dena was returning to Iran via the Indian Ocean. During this time it was attacked about 40 nautical miles south of Galle, Sri Lanka. According to reports, there was a massive explosion on board the ship immediately after which it sent a distress message. Within minutes the ship started filling with water and sank into the sea before rescue teams could reach it. At that time about 180 sailors were present on the ship. The rescue team has found many bodies, while many people are still reported missing.
American submarine attacked with torpedo
America has confirmed the attack. It is being told that this attack was carried out with heavy torpedoes launched from an American stealth submarine. According to experts, it probably used Mark 48 heavyweight torpedo, which chases the target through sound signals and then explodes with hundreds of kilograms of explosive. This incident is also considered historical because for the first time after World War II, an American submarine has sunk an enemy warship with torpedoes.
Rare use of torpedo in modern warfare
For the last several decades, missiles and air power have been mainly used in maritime warfare. But the sinking of IRIS Dena showed that submarine-fired torpedoes are still one of the deadliest weapons at sea. The Pentagon has said that the attack took place in international waters.
Why is this incident important for India
This incident is also considered important for India because the area where the attack took place falls in India’s strategic maritime neighbourhood. The area south of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean is included in the major sea routes of global trade and energy supply. Any kind of military confrontation in this region could affect maritime security and shipping stability.
