Hours after a torpedo from a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday claimed it struck a US tanker in the Gulf.
The Iranian state media said the US ship is currently on fire. The casualties are not known yet.
The development came after an American submarine torpedoed and sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean — declaring it the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II. The Iranian retaliation came in less than 24 hours after a US submarine sank its warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, expanding the war zone to the Indian Ocean.
The attack, carried out with a Mark 48 torpedo, was touted by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth as evidence of America’s global reach in the ongoing conflict with Iran.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, addressing reporters, said the Iranian warship died a “quiet death". “An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters," Hegseth said.
https://t.co/PiqQpVIrMupic.twitter.com/Wc1e0B0um7— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar)March 4, 2026
The frigate, IRIS Dena, was reportedly heading back to Iran from India’s Visakhapatnam after participating in two naval exercises last month when it was hit by a US torpedo.
The attack in international waters left 87 Iranian sailors dead, while 32 others, including the commander of IRIS Dena and some senior officers, were rescued. Over 60 are still missing.
Responding to the US attack, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi vowed to avenge what he called US “atrocity" at sea 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
