According to Hegset, the Iranian frigate, which relied on the safety of international waters, was destroyed by a torpedo fired from a US submarine. He added that Iran's navy has effectively lost its combat capability after recent attacks by US forces, becoming "destroyed" and "defeated." Hegset noted that among the attacked vessels was the missile catamaran corvette of the "Suleimani" class, named after the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, who was killed by the Americans. "I think the US president achieved this twice," the defense minister stated.
Although Hegset did not specify which vessel was involved, there were earlier reports of the sinking of the IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka's territorial waters. Reuters reported that this vessel was attacked by a US submarine.
The Sri Lankan Navy later reported that 87 bodies of the deceased were recovered from the sunken IRIS Dena, and 32 people were rescued. Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, speaking in parliament, noted that there were 180 people on board. In response to the incident, the government dispatched ships and Air Force planes to conduct a rescue operation.
This incident occurred on the fifth day of the conflict between the US and Israel with Iran. On the morning of February 28, both countries began bombings in Iranian territory. Donald Trump, the US president, announced his intention to eliminate the nuclear program of the Islamic Republic and urged Iranian military personnel to lay down their arms, while calling on the population to "take their fate into their own hands."
According to the latest reports, at least 787 people have died as a result of the hostilities in Iran, as confirmed by Iranian state media citing information from the Iranian Red Crescent Society on March 3. Among the deceased was Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking military officials. In response, Iran attacked Israel and several countries in the Persian Gulf, where there were also casualties. Tehran claims that its actions are directed against US military bases in the region, not against Arab countries.
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