Iranian frigate Dena attacked in Indian Ocean; approximately 140 people missing as confirmed by BBC.
Attack on Iranian Frigate
The fifth day of war in the Middle East. US and Israeli forces continue to strike Iran. The attacked vessel is the Iranian frigate Dena, which was returning from military exercises near India. The frigate was part of a group that visited countries like South Africa and Brazil in 2023. It was accompanied by the support ship IRIS Makran, a converted oil tanker.
The US Department of the Treasury placed both ships on the sanctions list in February 2023, along with eight directors of Iran’s drone manufacturer that supplied weapons to Russia for targeting civilian targets in Ukraine.
Missing Persons
Approximately 140 people are missing. Although the frigate was outside Sri Lankan waters, it was in their search and rescue region. Therefore, we were obligated to respond according to international obligations, said a spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Navy to BBC.
The spokesperson also stated that according to ship documentation, there were probably 180 people on board, though the exact number of missing persons is not known. He denied reports of a submarine attack but the cause of the sinking has not yet been revealed.
Rescue Operations
Earlier, the country’s deputy defense secretary, Air Marshal Sampath Thuiyakontha, told BBC that about 140 people are considered missing. According to Reuters reports, 32 people injured in this incident were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy and are being treated in hospital.
“The navy responded to a distress call from the ship and began a rescue operation at 6 am local time,” said Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath.
US Confirms Attack
During a press conference, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth informed about the sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean using a torpedo from an American submarine. He did not specify the exact name of the attacked object. He added that this was the first such attack on an enemy since World War II. “The Iranian navy warship lies at the bottom of the Persian Gulf,” Hegseth said.
Middle East Escalation
On February 28, the US and Israel conducted a massive attack on targets in Iran as part of a wide-ranging military operation. In response, Iran attacked military targets of the US and Israel, including in the Persian Gulf region.
During the first wave of Israeli airstrikes, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and dozens of high-ranking officials were eliminated. US President Trump noted that according to the plan the operation should last 4-5 weeks, but the US military has capabilities to make it last “significantly longer.”
Sri Lanka’s Situation
Sri Lanka has the fourth largest oil resources in the world, but one third of the population lives below the poverty line. It is a conservative regime where the fertility rate is 1.6, and there are an average of 3 people in a family. It is plagued by blackouts and water bankruptcies, but Iranians have invented equivalents for almost all technological innovations.
