Iranian foreign minister says U.S. will “bitterly regret” the precedent
Following the attack on an Iranian naval vessel in international waters, Tehran warned the United States, condemning the strike as a serious escalation at sea. Iran claimed that the warship had recently been a guest of the Indian Navy.
The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was reportedly struck by a torpedo believed to have been fired from a U.S. submarine in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka, causing the vessel to sink. Some reports indicated that more than 80 bodies had been recovered following the incident.
According to Iranian authorities, the frigate IRIS Dena was struck by the United States while sailing in international waters of the Indian Ocean, nearly 2,000 miles from Iran’s coastline. The vessel was reportedly carrying around 130 sailors at the time.
The vessel had earlier participated in the multinational naval exercise MILAN 2026, organised by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam, and was returning from India when it was attacked.
Iranian officials described the incident as a direct and unprovoked attack on their naval forces operating outside Iranian territorial waters.
Condemning the strike, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said, “The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores.”
He added, “Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning. Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set.”
Questions raised over the Indian government’s silence:
Following reports that an Iranian naval vessel was attacked in the Indian Ocean, some opposition leaders have questioned the silence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the incident. Mallikarjun Kharge, the current Leader of the Opposition in India’s Rajya Sabha, criticised the Modi government in a post on his X account, accusing it of failing to respond after the Iranian ship— which had participated in the International Fleet Review 2026 hosted by India— was torpedoed in the Indian Ocean Region while returning unarmed. Kharge said there has been no statement of concern or condolence from the government, adding that the Prime Minister has remained silent on the matter.