US Submarine Sinks Iranian Warship in Indian Ocean as Conflict Escalates

The United States Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth, has confirmed that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, marking a major escalation in the ongoing military confrontation involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

Speaking at a press briefing, Hegseth said the Iranian naval vessel was destroyed by a torpedo on Tuesday, describing the incident as a decisive operation by American forces. He added that the ship “died a quiet death.” Though he initially did not identify the vessel, officials in Sri Lanka later said the ship involved was the IRIS Dena, an Iranian naval frigate.

Sri Lankan authorities said the warship sank about 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the country’s southern coastline, prompting an emergency rescue operation by the Sri Lanka Navy after a distress signal was received early Wednesday.

Rescue teams recovered 80 bodies from the sea while 32 survivors were pulled from the water, according to a Sri Lankan defence official. Authorities believe as many as 180 people may have been aboard the vessel, based on the ship’s documentation.

The survivors, many of whom sustained serious injuries, were transported to a hospital in the southern port city of Galle, according to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.

Iran strongly condemned the sinking of the warship, describing the incident as an “atrocity at sea.” Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, accused the United States of attacking a vessel that he said was travelling peacefully in international waters.

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“Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning,” Araghchi said in a statement posted on social media. He warned that the United States would “bitterly regret the precedent it has set.”

Earlier during the rescue operation, a Sri Lankan navy spokesman, Budhika Sampath, said responders initially did not see the vessel itself but discovered oil slicks and life rafts floating on the water. At that time, he had also rejected early reports suggesting that the ship had been attacked by a submarine.

Although the location of the sinking was outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, the spokesman explained that it fell within the country’s international search-and-rescue region, which obligated Sri Lanka to respond under global maritime protocols.

The IRIS Dena, launched in 2015, is a destroyer attached to Iran’s Southern Fleet, which operates mainly around the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman. The vessel had recently taken part in the International Fleet Review 2026, a multinational naval exercise hosted by India.

Hegseth described the attack as historically significant, claiming it was “the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two.” While American submarines have not used torpedoes to sink an enemy vessel since World War II, other countries have deployed torpedoes in naval warfare in more recent decades.

Video footage released by the United States Department of Defense appeared to show a ship being struck by a powerful explosion, with the stern rising sharply before the vessel detonated.

The incident occurred amid rapidly escalating military tensions in the Middle East. The United States and Israel have continued to launch air strikes on Iran for a fifth consecutive day, with the Israeli military reporting attacks on security facilities across Tehran.

Israel has also expanded operations in Lebanon, conducting air strikes and deploying ground forces after the militant group Hezbollah launched rockets and drones toward Israeli territory.

Iran has reportedly responded with retaliatory attacks across the region, with fresh strikes reported in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Meanwhile, Turkey said its NATO-linked air defence systems intercepted an Iranian missile heading toward Turkish territory.

Amid the growing tensions, Sri Lanka has maintained a neutral position in the conflict, urging all parties to exercise restraint and pursue immediate de-escalation.

The country’s government said it would issue a formal message of condolence for all victims of the conflict, including Iranian officials killed during recent attacks, following the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, earlier in the crisis.

US Submarine Sinks Iranian Warship in Indian Ocean as Conflict Escalates

Hegseth Warns US ‘Can’t Stop Everything’ Iran Fires Despite Claiming Air Superiority

WASHINGTON (AP) — US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged Wednesday that some Iranian drone and missile attacks may still penetrate American defenses, even as he insisted that US forces are rapidly gaining control of Iranian airspace.

Speaking at the Pentagon alongside Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hegseth said the United States had spared “no expense or capability” to bolster air defense systems across the Middle East to protect American troops and allied forces.

“This does not mean we can stop everything,” Hegseth said. “But we ensured that the maximum possible defense and maximum possible force protection was set up before we went on offense.”

His remarks came days after the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iranian targets, widening a conflict that has sent shockwaves across the region and heightened fears of a prolonged war.

Gen. Caine stressed that US service members continue to face significant danger. “US service members remain in harm’s way, and we must be clear-eyed that the risk is still high,” he said.

The warning follows the deaths of six US soldiers in Kuwait after an Iranian drone struck an operations center located within a civilian port facility. According to military officials, the building — described by a relative of one of the victims as a shipping-container-style structure — reportedly lacked hardened defensive protections. The incident underscored the evolving nature of drone warfare and the difficulty of intercepting every low-flying or remotely piloted threat.

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Defense officials say layered systems — including Patriot missile batteries, naval-based interceptors, radar networks and counter-drone technologies — have been reinforced in key locations. However, Hegseth acknowledged that even advanced systems cannot guarantee a 100% interception rate, particularly during sustained attacks.

Despite the risks, Hegseth asserted that the US military’s technological edge and operational tempo are shifting the balance decisively. He said additional jet fighters, long-range bombers and logistical support units continue to arrive in the region, reinforcing America’s military posture.

Pentagon officials indicated that early phases of the campaign relied heavily on precision-guided munitions and stealth capabilities to neutralize Iranian air defense systems. As air superiority expands, US forces may increasingly deploy conventional precision and gravity bombs for sustained operations.

Hegseth also emphasized that the United States has sufficient munitions stockpiles and equipment to sustain a prolonged campaign if necessary. While US President Donald Trump has suggested the conflict could last four to five weeks, Hegseth signaled it may stretch longer, potentially up to eight weeks or more, depending on how events unfold.

“You can say four weeks, but it could be six, it could be eight, it could be three,” Hegseth said. “Ultimately, we set the pace and the tempo. The enemy is off balance, and we’re going to keep them off balance.”

Trump has said he is prepared “to go far longer” if required to achieve strategic objectives.

Military analysts note that wars of attrition depend not only on firepower but also on logistics, morale and political will. Sustained Iranian missile capabilities, proxy operations and cyber activities could continue to pose asymmetric challenges even if Tehran’s conventional air defenses are degraded.

Tehran has vowed to intensify its response, warning that regional military and economic infrastructure could be targeted if hostilities continue. Iranian officials have framed the conflict as a defense of sovereignty and signaled no immediate willingness to de-escalate.

The widening confrontation has raised concerns about potential spillover into neighboring states, disruptions to global energy markets and broader geopolitical instability.

For now, US defense leaders are balancing confidence in air dominance with public acknowledgment of ongoing risks — recognizing that even overwhelming military superiority does not eliminate the danger to troops deployed in active combat zones.

Hegseth Warns US ‘Can’t Stop Everything’ Iran Fires Despite Claiming Air Superiority

Pedro Sánchez Rejects Trump Trade Threat, Says ‘No to War’ as EU Backs Spain

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has delivered a forceful response to US President Donald Trump’s threat to sever trade ties, declaring that Spain stands for peace, international law and multilateralism, not escalation.

In a 10-minute televised address from the prime minister’s official residence in Madrid, Sánchez reflected on the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and the 2003 Iraq War, arguing that history had shown the devastating consequences of military interventions that sidestep international legality. “Our position can be summed up in three words: no to war,” Sánchez said, warning that “you cannot answer one illegality with another,” because that path leads to wider global catastrophe.

Tensions escalated after President Trump threatened to impose a full trade embargo on Spain following Madrid’s refusal to allow the United States to use the jointly operated military bases at Morón and Rota for potential strikes against Iran. “Spain has been terrible,” Trump said during a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain. We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”

Spain hosts key US military installations under long-standing bilateral defence agreements, and access to these bases has historically required coordination and political consent from Madrid. Spanish officials maintain that any offensive military use of the facilities must align with Spain’s foreign policy stance and international law obligations.

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The threat triggered swift reactions across Europe. The Élysée Palace confirmed that French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Spain during a call with Sánchez, while European Council President António Costa conveyed the European Union’s full backing. German Chancellor Merz clarified that the United States could not negotiate selective trade arrangements with individual EU member states, underscoring that trade policy falls under EU competence rather than national authority.

Spain’s Economy Ministry signaled it was assessing contingency measures in case of economic retaliation, although Sánchez avoided directly repeating Trump’s trade embargo language during his address. He stressed that the government was studying ways to shield Spanish businesses and households from potential fallout.

Trump also criticized Spain for failing to meet NATO’s proposed 5% of GDP defence spending target, calling the country a “terrible partner” in the alliance. Spain currently spends significantly less than that benchmark, though it has pledged gradual increases in line with NATO commitments. Earlier this year, Sánchez had drawn criticism from Washington for opposing a US military incursion into Venezuela, reinforcing perceptions of policy divergence between Madrid and Washington.

Despite tensions, Sánchez reiterated Spain’s solidarity with nations “illegally attacked by the Iranian regime,” while maintaining that military escalation was not the solution.

Sánchez invoked Spain’s experience during the 2003 Iraq invasion, recalling the meeting of the so-called “Azores trio” — then-US President George W. Bush, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Spain’s then conservative leader José María Aznar — shortly before the invasion. He argued that the Iraq War left Europe with “a more insecure world and worse life,” suggesting that strikes on Iran could similarly destabilize global markets and harm ordinary citizens through rising energy prices and economic uncertainty.

The Iraq reference resonates strongly in Spain, where mass anti-war protests preceded the 2004 general election. Many analysts believe public anger over the war contributed to the Socialist Party’s surprise electoral victory days after the Madrid train bombings.

Sánchez’s stance aligns with Spain’s broader foreign policy posture on the Middle East. His government has been one of Europe’s most outspoken critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following the 2023 Hamas attacks. Spain described Israel’s actions as genocide and moved to recognize a Palestinian state earlier than many EU counterparts, a position that has support among Sánchez’s left-wing coalition partners and segments of Spanish public opinion.

The transatlantic clash comes at a delicate moment for Sánchez’s coalition government, which has faced mounting political pressure and corruption allegations involving allies. His parliamentary majority depends on a complex alliance of left-wing and regional nationalist parties.

However, confronting Trump could carry electoral advantages. A recent survey by Spain’s CIS research institute found that 77% of Spaniards hold a bad or very bad opinion of Trump, suggesting broad domestic backing for Sánchez’s defiance.

Uncertainty remains over whether Trump’s rhetoric will translate into concrete economic measures. Spain exports billions of euros in goods to the United States annually, including automobiles, pharmaceuticals, olive oil, and industrial machinery. A full trade embargo would significantly disrupt bilateral commerce and ripple across EU markets.

For now, Spain is emphasizing diplomacy, European unity, and adherence to international law, while businesses and citizens await clarity on whether the standoff will escalate into tangible economic consequences.

Pedro Sánchez Rejects Trump Trade Threat, Says ‘No to War’ as EU Backs Spain