‘Frigate Dena, Guest of India’s Navy, Struck Without Warning’, Iran Says US Will ‘Bitterly Regret’

TEHRAN:
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi has strongly condemned the United States for attacking and sinking the Iranian Frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean, describing the incident as an “atrocity at sea” and warning that Washington would “bitterly regret” setting such a precedent.

Aragchi said the warship had recently visited the Indian Navy and was carrying around 130 sailors at the time of the attack. He accused the US of launching a strike without warning in waters far from Iran’s territory.

“The US 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 US will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set,” the Iranian Foreign Minister said in a post on X.

The Iranian Foreign Minister’s remarks came after an American submarine torpedoed and sank the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The incident marked the first time since World War II that the US has sunk an enemy ship using a torpedo fired from a submarine.

The frigate, a relatively small warship, had been returning from naval engagements in India when it was targeted. The IRIS Dena, a frigate-class vessel of the Iranian Navy, had participated in the Milan International Fleet Review held in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to 25, where it was welcomed by the Indian Navy.

“Indian Navy welcomes IRIS Dena, of the Iranian Navy, on her arrival at Visakhapatnam… reflecting long-standing cultural links between the two nations,” the Indian Navy had said in a message posted on X during the visit.

The multinational naval exercise saw participation from around 74 countries. The United States did not take part in the exercise. The US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney had initially been scheduled to participate but cancelled its involvement shortly before the event began. The exercise concluded on February 25.