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 India 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 the precedent it has set," Aragchi said in a post on X.
The 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 vessel 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 post on X during the visit.
The multinational naval exercise saw participation from around 74 countries. The United States did not take part in the event. The US Navy's guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney had initially been scheduled to participate but withdrew shortly before the exercise began. The event concluded on February 25.
According to reports, the IRIS Dena departed from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and was on its return journey when it was attacked in international waters near the southern coast of Sri Lanka on March 4.
US officials did not deny responsibility for the attack and openly acknowledged the sinking of the Iranian vessel.
"An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death," US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said while commenting on the strike.
Following the attack, rescue operations were launched in the area. The Sri Lankan Navy has so far rescued around 30 sailors from the IRIS Dena. The survivors were taken to Karapitiya Hospital in the southern port city of Galle, where they are receiving medical treatment.
The incident has further intensified tensions in the region amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
The current war began on February 28 when the US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran. The attacks reportedly targeted the country's missile arsenal and nuclear facilities and resulted in the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Regional tensions widen
In a separate development, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry confirmed that an Iranian drone struck Nakhchivan International Airport, raising further concerns about the conflict spilling into neighbouring regions.
Meanwhile, two Indian nationals were killed in an attack on the oil tanker Skylight in the Gulf of Oman. The victims were identified as Captain Ashish Kumar from Bihar and crew member Dalip Singh from Rajasthan.
China has also stepped in diplomatically as tensions escalate across the Middle East. Beijing announced that it will send a special envoy to the region to help mediate the crisis triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China is urging all sides to pursue dialogue while calling on the United States and Israel to halt their attacks. Beijing, a close partner of Tehran, has also voiced support for Iran's right to defend its sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth reaffirmed Washington's strong backing for Israel's military operations against Iran. According to Katz, Hegseth encouraged Israel to continue its campaign "to the end" during an overnight conversation.
Iran issues fresh threats
As tensions continue to rise, an Iranian cleric delivered a televised warning calling for violence against Israelis and former US President Donald Trump.
The message from cleric Abdollah Javadi Amoli urged supporters to remain united and spoke of "shedding Zionist blood" and "Trump's blood" as Iran faces ongoing airstrikes by Israel and the United States.
The remarks came as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly targeted a US tanker in the northern Gulf, signalling further escalation in the region.
