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Pete Hegseth confirms sinking of Iranian warship in Indian ocean; Did US send any message to China and Russia?
A submarine of the US sank an Iranian warship near the southern coast of Sri Lanka, stated US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday.
In another major blow to Iran, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a US submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, stating that the Iranian navy “rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf” and that it was “ineffective, decimated, destroyed…pick your adjective, it is no more.”
In a Tuesday briefing, he stated that an American submarine in the Indian Ocean sank an Iranian warship that believed it was secure in international waters.
“Instead it was sunk by a torpedo, a quiet death – the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war, back when we were still the war department, we are fighting to win.”
Sri Lankan Navy confirms distress call from Iris Dena
While Hegseth did not identify the vessel, the Sri Lankan navy previously stated that approximately 140 people were missing following the sinking of an Iranian ship, the Iris Dena, near the coast of Galle.
Sri Lankan officials reported that 32 people have been rescued and multiple bodies have been retrieved from the ocean. Those who were injured are receiving care at a government-operated hospital located in the southern port city of Galle.
“We are hopeful we can rescue more people and will continue operations until we are sure,” Sri Lankan navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath stated, as per Reuters.
“Cannot give details on the number of dead as of now," he added.
The IRIS Dena, classified as a frigate, took part in the Milan International Fleet Review held in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to 25, during which it received a warm welcome from the Indian Navy. The vessel was on its way back from Visakhapatnam, located in Andhra Pradesh.
US ‘can sustain this fight as long as we need to,’ says Hegseth
Boasting US military capabilities, the Defense Secretary went on to say that the United States can sustain military operations against Iran for as long as necessary.
“The enemy can no longer shoot the volume of missiles they once did – not even close. We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need to.”
The number of fatalities in Iran has risen to 1,045, The Guardian reported, citing Iranian authorities.
According to state media, the foundation of martyrs and veteran affairs in Iran stated that this figure reflects the count of bodies that have been recognized and readied for interment.
Did Pete Hegseth issue any message for China and Russia?
Russia and China have condemned the attacks by the US and Israel on Iran, with Moscow stating that it has found no proof of Tehran's development of nuclear weapons, while Beijing has called for an immediate cessation of the coordinated assaults.
Calling Russia and China “non-factors’ in Iran war,” Hegseth said, “I don’t have a message for them, and they’re not really a factor here, and our issue is not with them.”
The Secretary of Defense stated that the primary objective of the US is to conclude what he referred to as “the nuclear ambitions of Iran.”
