U.S. submarine sinks Iranian ship off Sri Lanka, 87 sailors dead
A U.S. submarine torpedoed an Iranian naval vessel about 23 miles off Sri Lanka’s coast on March 4, 2026, during the peak of fighting between Israel and the U.S. against Iran, NPR reports. The attack sank the Iranian ship, and Sri Lankan authorities retrieved the bodies of 87 Iranian sailors while rescuing another 32. Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated his government does not take sides in the conflict but that “humanity comes first” when asked about allowing another Iranian vessel to dock after engine trouble. International law scholars say the U.S. acted lawfully in targeting the ship, but questions remain about whether the submarine crew alerted Sri Lankan authorities that sailors were in distress. A local police officer involved in the recovery described it as the biggest mass casualty event he had witnessed, overwhelming the local hospital which could only hold 14 bodies. Fisherman Anil Kumara, who saw the bodies being unloaded, said he thinks of the Iranian sailors when at sea.
What’s reported
On March 4, 2026, a U.S. submarine fired a torpedo at the Iranian naval vessel IRS Dena, sinking it.
The attack occurred about 23 miles off Sri Lanka’s coast.
Sri Lankan authorities retrieved the bodies of 87 Iranian sailors and rescued 32.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his country does not take sides and that “humanity comes first.”
The U.S. Department of Defense did not respond to detailed questions about the attack.
A local police officer said the bodies were found floating over a radius of about 2 miles; the local hospital could only hold 14 bodies.
Fisherman Anil Kumara witnessed the unloading of remains at Galle fishing harbor.
Open questions
Whether the U.S. submarine crew alerted Sri Lankan authorities that Iranian sailors were in distress after the torpedo strike, which could determine if a war crime was committed under the Geneva Conventions.
Key figures
Anil Kumara – fisherman in Galle, Sri Lanka
Anil Jayantha Fernando – deputy minister of finance of Sri Lanka
Anura Kumara Dissanayake – president of Sri Lanka
Donald Rothwell – professor of international law at Australian National University
Pete Hegseth – U.S. Secretary of Defense
Unnamed police officer in Galle
Sources: NPR
