U.S. Submarine Sinks Iranian Warship With Torpedo in Indian Ocean, Pentagon Says

WASHINGTON — A U.S. Navy submarine sank an Iranian naval vessel in the Indian Ocean during the ongoing conflict with Tehran, marking the first time since World War II that an American submarine has destroyed an enemy warship using a torpedo, senior U.S. military officials said Wednesday.

The strike occurred as part of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign targeting Iran’s missile systems and naval capabilities.

Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the incident underscored the reach of American naval power.

“In fact, yesterday in the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said.

He said the vessel was destroyed by a torpedo strike.

“Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo, quietly — the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II.”

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine confirmed the attack and described it as a rare and significant naval engagement.

“For the first time since 1945, a United States Navy fast-attack submarine has sunk an enemy combatant ship using a single Mark 48 torpedo to achieve immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea,” Caine said.

Pentagon officials said the Iranian vessel had been operating outside the immediate area of active fighting when it was targeted.

Caine said the strike demonstrated the U.S. military’s ability to track and eliminate enemy ships far from the main battle zone.

“To hunt, find and kill an out-of-area deployer is something that only the United States can do at this type of scale,” he said.

The sinking is part of a broader campaign aimed at weakening Iran’s naval power. U.S. officials said more than 20 Iranian naval vessels have been destroyed since the conflict began.

“Second, we are destroying the Iranian Navy, degrading its capacity, capability and ability to conduct operations,” Caine said.

Pentagon officials said the naval campaign is intended to prevent Iran from threatening global maritime trade routes and projecting military power beyond its borders.

The operation is being conducted alongside allied forces, including Israel, with U.S. aircraft carriers and strike groups operating throughout the region.

U.S. military leaders said neutralizing Iran’s naval capability is one of the central goals of Operation Epic Fury, along with destroying ballistic missile systems and other military infrastructure.

The United States launched the operation earlier this week following escalating tensions with Iran over missile attacks and Tehran’s nuclear program.

The conflict has since expanded across multiple fronts — air, sea and cyber — with U.S. and allied forces targeting Iranian missile launchers, naval bases and military command networks. (Source: IANS)