Iranian submarine IRIS Dena sunk by torpedo in international waters near Sri Lanka

COLOMBO: The Iranian Navy submarine IRIS Dena was sunk in international waters approximately 40 nautical miles south of Galle, Sri Lanka, at 05:08 local time, according to Sri Lankan authorities. The incident occurred as the vessel was returning from the MILAN 2026 multinational naval exercise in Visakhapatnam, India, where it had participated as an officially invited guest.

According to Sri Lankan officials, the IRIS Dena was unarmed during its return voyage, in line with the exercise’s protocol. The submarine was carrying 180 crew members at the time of the attack. Authorities have confirmed at least 87 fatalities, with 32 crew members rescued. Approximately 60 individuals remain unaccounted for.

The attack involved two Mark 48 heavyweight torpedoes. The first torpedo missed, while the second struck the submarine beneath its keel, leading to its sinking. The vessel was located about 1,700 nautical miles from Iran’s nearest coastline and over 1,350 nautical miles away from the closest active theatre of Operation Epic Fury.

The submarine responsible for the attack was identified by CBS News, citing multiple officials, as the USS Charlotte, a Los Angeles-class attack submarine. Reports indicate that the USS Charlotte left the area without conducting search and rescue operations following the incident. The Sri Lankan Navy subsequently recovered survivors and bodies from the site.

The sinking of the IRIS Dena has raised concerns regarding the safety of naval operations in international waters and the adherence to established protocols during multinational exercises.