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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has strongly condemned the US after an Iranian warship returning from an Indian Navy exercise was torpedoed near Sri Lanka, calling the vessel “a guest of India’s Navy”.
Araghchi described the attack as an “atrocity at sea”
Tehran: Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has sharply criticised the United States following the sinking of an Iranian naval vessel in the Indian Ocean. The warship, identified as IRIS Dena, was reportedly struck by a torpedo launched from a US submarine while sailing in international waters.
In a statement posted on X, Araghchi described the attack as an “atrocity at sea” and warned that the United States had set a dangerous precedent through its actions.
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The Iranian minister noted that the frigate had recently participated in naval events hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam. The vessel had attended the International Fleet Review and the multinational naval exercise MILAN-2026 before beginning its return journey.
The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran's shores.
Frigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning.
Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set. pic.twitter.com/cxYiI9BLUk
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 5, 2026
Calling the ship “a guest of India’s Navy,” Araghchi emphasised that the vessel had been operating far from Iran’s territorial waters when it was attacked.
According to reports, the frigate was carrying around 130 sailors when it was struck early Wednesday morning. The incident occurred roughly 40 nautical miles off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, near the coastal city of Galle.
The ship reportedly issued a distress call before sinking in the waters of the Indian Ocean.
During a Pentagon briefing, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that an American submarine had carried out the strike. He described the attack as the first sinking of an enemy warship by the United States since World War II. Hegseth said the Iranian vessel had been operating in international waters when it was targeted by a torpedo launched from the submarine.
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Indian defence sources indicated that the location of the incident falls within Sri Lanka’s maritime area of operation. However, India and the Indian Navy have not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
The sinking has occurred amid escalating tensions involving United States, Iran, and Israel, raising concerns among analysts that the Indian Ocean region could become a wider theatre in the ongoing geopolitical confrontation.
