Iranian Navy in Retreat: Second Warship Seeks Refuge in Sri Lanka After U.S. Submarine Torpedoes Frigate Dena

A second Iranian naval vessel a logistical support ship carrying over 100 crew has requested emergency docking in Colombo, Sri Lanka, just 24 hours after a U.S. fast-attack submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena with a single Mk-48 torpedo in the Indian Ocean.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike on Wednesday, March 5, 2026, describing it as the first successful U.S. submarine torpedo engagement against an enemy surface combatant since World War II. The Moudge-class frigate, returning from India’s MILAN 2026 multinational naval exercise, was hit in international waters off Sri Lanka’s southern coast.

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Sri Lankan Navy rescue operations recovered 32 survivors and 87 bodies; dozens remain missing. The frigate sank rapidly after the torpedo hit, with oil slicks and life rafts marking the site.

Sri Lankan Media Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told parliament Thursday that the second vessel is positioned just outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. Official sources indicate it is seeking limited port access, reportedly for “engine repairs,” while staying close to the coast to avoid potential further U.S. pursuit.

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Sri Lanka maintaining strict neutrality has granted conditional humanitarian access under Hague Convention rules while evacuating crew and managing fallout. The port city of Galle has prepared facilities to receive any additional survivors or remains.

Secretary Hegseth stated the Dena strike was a “defensive and proportionate response” to Iranian threats against coalition assets in the Indian Ocean corridor. The Pentagon has not commented on the second ship’s movements but reiterated that U.S. forces will protect freedom of navigation and respond to hostile actions.

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Tehran has not officially acknowledged the sinking or commented on the second vessel’s status. State media has focused on domestic resilience and vowed retaliation, while privately the regime is reportedly scrambling to protect remaining naval assets far from home waters.

The incident underscores how the U.S.–Iran conflict initially centered in the Middle East has now spilled into the Indian Ocean, exposing the vulnerability of even modern frigates operating far from home bases.

This is a rapidly developing situation with significant implications for maritime security and global energy routes.

DDNewsOnline – Lagos
By Ogungbayi Beedee Adeyemi
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