US strikes Iranian warship within Sri Lanka's Exclusive Economic Zone

• Sri Lanka Navy responds to distress call as the incident occurred in country’s search and rescue region
• The attack had been carried out by a US Navy submarine late on Tuesday night

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya

Colombo, March 05 (Daily Mirror) In the midst of the Middle East war escalating, over 100 people are missing and dozens others have been wounded after an Iranian warship IRIS Dena- a Moudge-class frigate from the Southern Fleet of Iran Navy- sank within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Sri Lanka following a torpedo strike by a U.S. submarine.

However, the incident occurred outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

A country has sovereign rights over its territorial waters running 12 nautical miles. However, the EEZ runs up to 200 nautical miles. Sri Lanka, a coastal country, has economic rights such as fishing.

The vessel, reportedly carrying around 180 crew members, issued the distress call while sailing about 40 nautical miles south of Galle, just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters.

The US carried out a submarine torpedo strike that sank the Iranian warship off the south coast of Sri Lanka, according to the US Secretary of Defence.

Pete Hegseth confirmed that the US was behind the deadly strike on an Iranian frigate that was travelling close to the Sri Lankan coast.

“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo.”

The attack was carried out by a US Navy submarine late on Tuesday night. Hegseth said it was the first time since the Second World War that an enemy vessel had been targeted by the US in the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lankan Navy spokesperson Buddhika Sampath said that the response was carried out under the country’s international maritime obligations. “We responded to the distress call under our international obligations as this falls within Sri Lanka’s Search and Rescue Area in the Indian Ocean,” he said.

Accordingly, initially, 32 crew members of the vessel were rescued and admitted to the Karapitiya Hospital in Galle.

The spokesman said that several bodies suspected to be of the members of the crew of the vessel were also recovered from the location.

He said search and rescue operations were still ongoing as of yesterday evening.

The frigate was on its return voyage to Iran after attending the International Fleet Review (IFR) in Visakhapatnam, India. Sri Lanka Navy Ships (SLNS) Sagara and Nandimithra also took part in the IFR.

It was learnt that Sri Lanka Navy and the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) which is responsible for organizing search and rescue (SAR) operations within a designated maritime region was by the United States Indo-Pacific Command (PACOM) to provide assistance, following the distress call.

The Sri Lanka Air Force, which deployed Beechcraft aircraft for surveillance, observed that the vessel had completely sunk at the time they reached, leaving behind only an oil slick on the surface of the water.

The Dena destroyer is Iran’s newest and most advanced naval warship, representing a major leap in indigenous maritime engineering. Built as part of the Moudge class, this 95-meter sea giant combines high speed, long range, advanced radar and sonar systems, powerful cruise missiles, air defence, and anti-submarine weapons into one fully digital combat platform.

It was reported that the vessel had requested permission from Sri Lanka to make a port call at Colombo. The attack reportedly occurred while Sri Lankan authorities were in the process of reviewing the request amid diplomatic tensions.

However, the Navy Spokesman said they had only received a distress call and that the cause of the emergency remains unknown. He said that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be determined following a technical assessment.

He said the crew members admitted to the hospital are continuing to receive treatment, and statements will only be recorded after their medical care is completed.

When questioned about whether the vessel had requested permission to enter Sri Lanka, the navy spokesman said he was unable to comment at this stage, adding that further details could only be provided after an investigation.

Opposition alleged that the incident is a national security issue as the attack took place in Sri Lanka's jurisdiction.

Modern warfare now heavily relies on advanced drones for surveillance and precision attacks, making them a serious threat to naval forces. These drones can evade traditional defences and strike with speed and accuracy. As a result, strong air defence systems are crucial for any navy, using radar, missiles, and close-in weapons to detect and destroy incoming drones.

Sri Lanka remains highly vulnerable to underwater and drone attacks due to limited detection systems and the absence of modern air and underwater defence capabilities.

Sources said that despite financial constraints, the government must recognize the urgent need to strengthen naval platforms, invest in modern technologies and enhance overall maritime readiness to protect national interests and uphold regional security.