By SCM Staff Writer
A MASSIVE rescue operation is underway in the Indian Ocean today after an Iranian warship was reportedly blown out of the water and sunk by a United States submarine.
The Dena, a Mowj-class frigate and pride of the Iranian Navy, went down near the coast of Sri Lanka in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
In a scene described as “total carnage,” 32 severely injured sailors were pulled from the shark-infested waters by rescue crews.
However, a staggering 148 crew members remain missing tonight, with fears mounting that the death toll will be the worst naval disaster in the region for decades.
The Dena was returning from the prestigious MILAN 2026 naval exercises in India—a high-profile international fleet review—when the disaster struck.
Reports suggest the vessel was intercepted by an American submarine patrolling the strategic shipping lanes. While the Pentagon has yet to officially comment, sources in the region claim a “significant underwater explosion” preceded the sinking.
Sri Lankan coastguards and passing merchant vessels have joined the hunt for survivors, but hope is fading fast.
32 Rescued: All suffered catastrophic injuries and are being treated at local hospitals.
148 Missing: The vast majority of the crew are believed to have gone down with the ship or been lost to the currents.
The sinking of the Dena marks a terrifying escalation in global maritime tensions.
The Dena is a Mowj-class frigate, an Iranian-built warship equipped with anti-ship missiles and torpedoes. It was considered a symbol of Tehran’s ability to project power far beyond the Persian Gulf.
The ship had just completed MILAN 2026, a massive biennial naval exercise hosted by the Indian Navy.
Ironically, the exercise is designed to promote “camaraderie and cohesion” between global navies.
Relations between Washington and Tehran have been at a breaking point throughout 2025 and early 2026.
The presence of U.S. nuclear-powered submarines in the Indian Ocean has been a constant point of friction, with Iran frequently accusing the West of “bullying” in neutral waters.
If confirmed as a deliberate strike by a U.S. vessel, this incident could be the spark that ignites a direct military conflict between the two nations.
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