An Iranian warship, the IRIS Dena, was sunk in a reported U.S. submarine torpedo attack in the Indian Ocean, marking what U.S. officials called the first American submarine sinking of an enemy ship since World War II.

The vessel went down about 25 miles off Sri Lanka’s coast, with dozens rescued but more than 100 crew members missing and at least 80 reported dead, according to Sri Lankan officials.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike targeted the ship in international waters, while Sri Lanka launched a rescue mission after receiving distress signals.

The sinking comes amid escalating conflict following U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and subsequent Iranian retaliation across the region, the Metro has reported.

Iran has since launched drone attacks on U.S. facilities, including near the U.S. Consulate in Dubai and the CIA station in Riyadh, as tensions intensify across the Middle East.