Oil slick, life rafts, dozens of bodies: What Sri Lankan navy found after US sank Iranian warship

Sri Lanka said its navy rescued 32 survivors after a U.S. torpedo sank Iranian warship IRIS Dena with 180 aboard. Crews recover 87 bodies from the wreckage. War With Iran Oil slick, life rafts, dozens of bodies: What Sri Lankan navy found after US sank Iranian warship Sri Lanka says navy crews recovered 87 bodies from IRIS Dena wreckage after responding to distress call in Indian Ocean By Stephen Sorace Fox News Published March 4, 2026 2:14pm EST Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video Video shows US torpedo slamming into Iranian warship A U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean, War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday. (Credit: @DeptofWar/X) NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Sri Lanka’s navy responded to a distress call from an Iranian warship, but found only oil slicks, empty life rafts and the bodies of sailors in the water after a U.S. torpedo strike sunk the vessel to the bottom of the Indian Ocean. The Sri Lankan navy sent ships and planes on a rescue mission after receiving a distress signal from Iran’s IRIS Dena, which had 180 people on board, the country's foreign minister, Vijitha Herath, told Parliament on Wednesday.When Sri Lanka's navy arrived, there was no sign of the ship, "only some oil patches and life rafts," navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said. "We found people floating on the water." Crews recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people, Sri Lanka’s navy said. Healthcare workers unload the bodies of Iranian sailors from a vehicle who died when their IRIS Dena warship sank outside Sri Lanka's territorial waters, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena) Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said earlier Wednesday morning during a briefing at the Pentagon that the Iranian vessel was a "prize ship" of Iran. Iranian warship IRIS Dena is seen in the Bay of Bengal during International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam, India, Feb. 18, 2026. (AP Photo) (AP Photo)"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters," Hegseth said. "Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two. Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department. We are fighting to win." A U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean, War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday. (@DeptofWar / X) A single Mark 48 torpedo was used to sink the warship, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said at the briefing.US ‘WINNING DECISIVELY’ AGAINST IRAN, WILL ACHIEVE ‘COMPLETE CONTROL’ OF AIRSPACE WITHIN DAYS, HEGSETH SAYS Those rescued from the wreckage were taken to a hospital in Galle, a town on Sri Lanka's southern coast, Sampath said, adding that bodies were also being recovered. One of those rescued is in critical condition, seven are receiving emergency treatment and others are being treated for minor injuries, a health official in Sri Lanka said.In a separate incident, Hegseth said that the U.S. Navy sank another Iranian warship, the Soleimani, a corvette class missile ship, in the Strait of Hormuz near Iranian shores.The ship was named for Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian military officer who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who the U.S. killed in a January 2020 drone strike during President Donald Trump's first term. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP"The Iranian navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated. Pick your adjective," Hegseth said. "In fact, last night we sunk their prize ship, the Soleimani. Looks like POTUS got him twice. Their navy, not a factor. Pick your adjective. It is no more."The Associated Press contributed to this report. Related Article 74 retired US generals, admirals back Iran strikes, warn Tehran seeks to ‘spill American blood’ Related Topics War With IranIranNavyMiddle EastPolitics More from Politics 19 mins ago House Republican faces ethics investigation over affair allegations