For the first time in more than 80 years, an American submarine has destroyed an enemy warship with a torpedo.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced the dramatic incident Wednesday during a media briefing.
“In the Indian Ocean — an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship, that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo — Quiet Death,” Hegseth said according to a video posted to X.
“The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war — back when we were still the War Department — we are fighting to win,” Hegseth said.
https://t.co/PiqQpVIrMu pic.twitter.com/Wc1e0B0um7
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) March 4, 2026
“For the first time since 1945, a United States Navy fast attack submarine has sunk an enemy combatant ship using a single Mk-48 torpedo to achieve immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said during the briefing, according to the Navy Times.
Officials did not release the name of the sub that sank the Iranian warship.
“This is an incredible demonstration of America’s global reach. To hunt, find, and kill an out-of-area deployer is something that only the United States can do at this type of scale,” Caine said.
Caine said more than 20 of Iran’s naval vessels have been destroyed.
Operation Epic Fury has “effectively neutralized, at this point in time, Iran’s major naval presence in theater,” he said.
According to the BBC, the ship was sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka.
A Sri Lankan official said that at least 80 people were killed in the incident.
A Sri Lankan navy representative said that the ship’s name was “Iris Dena” and that 32 of the 180 people it believed were on board had been rescued.
Hegseth on Iran:
Last night, we sunk their prize ship, the Soleimani.
Looks like POTUS got him twice. pic.twitter.com/p9N8lx1DWh
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 4, 2026
Hegseth also said the U.S. and Israel sent an Iranian warship named the Soleimani to the bottom, according to Fox News.
The ship was named for Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who led the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps until 2020, when a U.S. drone killed him at the direction of President Donald Trump during Trump’s first term in office.
“Looks like POTUS got him twice,” Hegseth said.
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