Iran warns U.S. will “bitterly regret” sinking of frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka

AKIPRESS.COM – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has declared that the United States will face severe consequences following the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka.

In a statement posted on social media, Araghchi characterized the incident as a maritime atrocity committed thousands of miles from Iranian shores, asserting that the vessel was attacked without warning in international waters while traveling from a visit with the Indian Navy.

He warned that Washington would bitterly regret the precedent established by this strike, which targeted a crew of nearly 130 sailors.

The escalation occurred after a U.S. submarine struck the Iranian warship in the international waters of the Indian Ocean off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the action, stating that the submarine sank the vessel which had assumed it was secure in international waters. According to reports from Sri Lankan authorities, the strike resulted in 87 confirmed deaths, with 32 survivors rescued and another 60 individuals currently listed as missing.