Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies after U.S. submarine sinks Iranian warship in Indian Ocean

Sri Lanka’s navy says it has recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people after a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean off the island nation’s southern coast.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told Parliament that authorities received information the vessel, identified as IRIS Dena, was in distress with about 180 people on board. He said Sri Lanka dispatched naval ships and air force aircraft to carry out a search-and-rescue operation.

According to Sri Lanka Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath, there was no sign of the ship when rescue teams arrived. “There were only some oil patches and life rafts. We found people floating on the water,” he said. The rescued individuals were taken to hospital in the coastal city of Galle. The bodies recovered were being transported to shore.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a Pentagon news briefing that the submarine strike marked the first time since the Second World War that the United States had sunk an enemy ship using a torpedo. He described the Iranian vessel as the Islamic Republic’s “prize ship.” He did not provide additional operational details.

Dr. Anil Jasinghe, a senior Health Ministry official, said one of the rescued individuals remains in critical condition and seven others are receiving emergency treatment. The remaining survivors are being treated for minor injuries.