The US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, announced that an American submarine sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean on Tuesday.
The ship, which was identified as the Iris Dena by Sri Lankan officials, went down about 40km from the southern coastline of Sri Lanka.
A total of 80 bodies were found aboard the ship by rescuers, while 32 people were rescued, according to the Sri Lankan navy.
Response From Authorities
Sri Lankan foreign affairs minister, Vijitha Herath, stated that the survivors were "seriously injured" and had been taken to a hospital in the southern port of Galle.
A Sri Lankan navy spokesman initially rejected reports that the Iris Dena had been attacked by a submarine, but later confirmed that the ship had sunk in the region.
Investigation Underway
The US Department of Defense released a video showing a ship being struck by a torpedo, causing the stern to rise up before exploding.
The sinking of the Iris Dena comes as the US and Israel continue to launch air strikes on Iran, with the Israeli military targeting "security headquarters" in Tehran.
Regional Conflict
Iran has retaliated with strikes in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, while Turkey reported that "Nato defences" shot down an Iranian missile heading towards Turkish territory.
Sri Lanka has maintained a neutral stance in the conflict, calling for "restraint and immediate de-escalation" from all parties involved.
