According to Hegset, the Iranian frigate, which was in international waters, was sunk by a torpedo, which came as a surprise to its crew, who believed they were safe. Reminding of the renaming of the US Department of Defense to the Department of War, he emphasized that the IRIS Dena frigate was attacked by American military forces, but did not provide details of the incident.
Several hours prior, Hegset reported the sinking of the frigate, which was near Sri Lankan territorial waters. Reuters had previously reported that the ship was attacked by a submarine.
The minister added that the Iranian navy, after strikes from the US, was "destroyed and defeated." In particular, he mentioned the loss of one of Iran's most significant ships—the missile catamaran corvette of the "Suleimani" class, named after General Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by American forces during Donald Trump's first term as president. "I believe the US president got him twice," Hegset noted.
The Sri Lankan Navy reported that 87 bodies were recovered from the sunken IRIS Dena, and 32 people were rescued. Earlier, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena informed parliament that there were 180 people on board. In response to the incident, the island nation dispatched its ships and aircraft for a rescue operation.
This incident occurred on the fifth day of military actions by the US and Israel against Iran. On the morning of February 28, both countries began attacks on Iranian territory. US President Donald Trump declared his intention to destroy Iran's nuclear program and urged the Iranian army to surrender, while calling on the country's population to "take their fate into their own hands."
According to Iranian state media, on March 3, it was reported that at least 787 people had died as a result of the attacks. The death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking military officials has also been confirmed. In response to these strikes, Iran attacked Israel and several countries in the Persian Gulf, where there were also casualties. Tehran claims that its actions are directed against American military bases, not against Arab countries.
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