Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has strongly criticised the United States after an American submarine reportedly sank the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean. Calling the attack an “atrocity at sea,” Araghchi warned that Washington would “bitterly regret the precedent it has set.”
Hours after an Iranian warship was attacked in the Indian Ocean, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed it struck an American tanker in the northern Persian Gulf, as per the reports. The Iranian state media said the US ship was on fire. The casualties, if any, are not known yet.
The incident has further escalated tensions between Iran and the United States amid the widening regional conflict.
Iran Condemns ‘Unprovoked’ Strike On Naval Vessel
In a post on social media platform ‘X’, Araghchi said the Iranian frigate was struck in international waters without warning, nearly 2,000 miles from Iran’s coastline. He stated that the vessel was carrying around 130 sailors and had been operating as a guest of India’s navy at the time.
The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores.
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 precedent it has set. pic.twitter.com/cxYiI9BLUk
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 5, 2026
“The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea… Frigate Dena was struck in international waters without warning. Mark my words: the US will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set,” the minister wrote.
US Confirms Submarine Torpedo Strike
The sinking of the warship was confirmed by US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who said an American submarine targeted the vessel with a torpedo in the Indian Ocean.
According to Hegseth, the strike marked a rare naval combat event, claiming it was the first time since World War II that a US submarine sank an enemy warship using a torpedo. US military officials described the operation as a demonstration of the American Navy’s ability to track and strike adversaries far from home waters.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said the strike showcased the United States’ “global reach” in locating and destroying hostile naval deployments.
Iran Threatens Retaliation Amid Escalating Conflict
Following the naval incident, Iran issued fresh warnings to Israel and the United States, saying it could target strategic facilities such as Israel’s Dimona Nuclear Research Center if attempts were made to destabilise the Islamic Republic.
The threat came after Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that any new leadership installed by Iran’s regime could become a legitimate target.
Meanwhile, Iran’s elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced the 19th wave of Operation ‘True Promise 4’, describing it as a combined missile and drone assault.
According to Iranian state media, the operation targeted what Tehran called “American and Zionist positions” across the region. The IRGC claimed the strikes destroyed more than seven advanced radar systems used by US and Israeli forces, saying the attacks had disrupted their surveillance networks.
