Iranian Frigate Sinks off Sri Lanka, Dozens Rescued
Sri Lankan Navy forces have rescued about three dozen Iranians from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, which had issued a distress call and reported that it was sinking.
According to Sri Lankan officials, a distress call came in early Wednesday morning from the Dena. The vessel was going down off Galle, and the Sri Lankan Navy launched a rescue mission with assistance from the Sri Lankan Air Force.
Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told lawmakers later in the day that there were 180 Iranian sailors aboard IRIS Dena, and 30 to 35 people were rescued. The survivors were delivered to the national hospital at Galle.
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The cause of the casualty was not immediately disclosed. U.S. forces with Central Command have been systematically sinking Iranian warships in the Middle East, and claim to have eliminated 17 to date; on Tuesday, the command pledged to continue until Iran's navy is gone. (Galle is thousands of miles away from the conflict zone, and located in the Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.)
IRIS Dena was one of Iran's most modern combatants. Commissioned in 2021, the vessel had indigenously-built engines and armaments. It gained publicity in 2022-3 for its participation in a round-the-world tour; it was dispatched to India for the International Fleet Review 2026 exercises, and had just wrapped up that event before its sinking.
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