US submarine USS Charlotte sank Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka: Report

The submarine, a Los Angeles-class attack vessel, reportedly launched two Mk 48 torpedo weapons at the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena

• US sub USS Charlotte sank Iranian warship IRIS Dena with torpedo
• Incident in international waters near Sri Lanka on March 4
• Iran condemned the attack, calling it an "atrocity at sea"

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A torpedo that struck the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean earlier this week was fired by the US Navy submarine USS Charlotte (SSN-766), according to multiple US officials cited by CBS News.

The submarine, a Los Angeles-class attack vessel, reportedly launched two Mk 48 torpedo weapons at the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena. Officials said the first torpedo missed its target, while the second struck the vessel and sank it.

The incident took place on March 4 in international waters about 40 nautical miles off Galle on Sri Lanka's southern coast. The Iranian ship reportedly issued a distress signal at dawn after an explosion was detected onboard, but it had already sunk by the time Sri Lankan rescue vessels reached the area. The location of the strike was roughly an hour's sailing distance from the main naval base at Galle.

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The frigate had been returning to Iran after participating in a naval exercise in Visakhapatnam, India. Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack, calling it an "atrocity at sea" and claiming the vessel was struck without warning while sailing in international waters nearly 2,000 miles from Iran's shores. He described the ship as a "guest of India's Navy" and warned that the United States would "bitterly regret" the precedent set by the attack.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier confirmed the strike at the Pentagon, saying the Iranian vessel "thought it was safe in international waters". He described the sinking as a "quiet death" delivered by a torpedo and suggested it represented an expansion of military operations linked to the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.

When contacted, the US Navy referred queries to United States Central Command, which declined to comment on the details of the operation.

Sri Lanka has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict and has repeatedly called for dialogue to resolve the crisis. Iran is also an important trading partner for the island nation, particularly as a major buyer of Sri Lankan tea.

Meanwhile, another Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr, reportedly approached Sri Lankan waters on Friday carrying nearly 300 crew members and naval cadets.