- The Iranian vessel that the U.S. sunk in the Indian Ocean was the Islamic Republic’s “prize ship,” according to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
- “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said at a Pentagon news briefing Wednesday. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo.”
- The Iris Dena, one of Iran’s newest warships, is a Moudge-class frigate that patrols in deep water for the Iranian navy. It features heavy guns, surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles and torpedoes, and carries one helicopter.
- The Iris Dena was the centerpiece of a two-ship international tour in 2023 that included port calls in countries including South Africa and Brazil. It was accompanied by the support ship IRIS Makran, a converted oil tanker.
- The U.S. has struck or sunk a total of 20 Iranian vessels since the start of the war, the U.S. Central Command said Wednesday.
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