U.S Navy Submarine Sinks Iranian Frigate IRIS Dena Near Sri Lanka, 101 Sailors Go Missing

Iranian Navy Ship IRIS Dena sank close to Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, possibly due to a US submarine attack.

The incident occurred on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, and led to a major search and rescue operation when the Sri Lankan Navy received a distress call from the vessel.

At least 101 people are missing and 78 wounded, including 32 seriously, after the attack.

In the afternoon, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told the Parliament that two Sri Lankan navy ships and an aircraft were sent to rescue the Iranian sailors.

The 32 who were rescued from the Iranian ship were taken to the Karapitiya Hospital in the south of the Island for treatment. One of them is in critical condition.

IRIS Dena is a new addition to the Iranian Navy, having been commissioned in 2021. It had a 180-member crew.

It was a part of India’s MILAN 2026, a multinational naval exercise in Visakhapatnam and was returning to Iran when the Iran-US war erupted.

Speculations are being made on social media regarding who sank the frigate, though Sri Lankan authorities have not stated the reason for its sinking.

Most argue it was attacked by a U.S submarine based out of Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.

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