A US Navy fast attack submarine has sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, marking the first time since World War II that an American submarine has torpedoed an enemy combat vessel. This was confirmed by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during a Pentagon press conference on Wednesday.
Hegseth stated that the Iranian warship was believed to be safe in international waters before it was struck and sunk by a torpedo. He described the attack as a “quiet death” and noted that this was the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo for the US Navy since the Second World War.
During World War II, American submarines played a critical role in naval combat, sinking over 1,300 Japanese ships, including the supercarrier Shinano in 1944. The recent strike was carried out using a single M48 torpedo fired from a US fast attack submarine, according to General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
General Caine also indicated that additional attacks on Iranian naval vessels and infrastructure are expected in the coming days as part of ongoing military operations. Since the conflict began last Saturday, more than 20 naval vessels have been destroyed along with approximately 2,000 other targets.
The Pentagon released video footage of the torpedo strike following the briefing. General Caine emphasized that military efforts would continue at an elevated pace to maintain consistent pressure on Iranian forces, aiming to disrupt their offensive capabilities and impose continuous costs.
The US military effort focuses on degrading the Iranian Navy’s operational capacity. President Donald Trump has articulated primary objectives of the campaign to include the destruction of the Iranian Navy, elimination of missile capabilities, prevention of nuclear warhead development, and neutralization of threats posed by Iran.
Recent satellite imagery showed significant damage to Iran’s largest naval vessel, an oil tanker converted to a floating base, in a port near the Strait of Hormuz. Other Iranian ships, including a Jamaran-class corvette and a frigate, have been sunk in the Gulf of Oman. Secretary Hegseth remarked that the Iranian Navy is now combat ineffective and no longer poses a factor in the conflict.
The operations represent a significant escalation in naval warfare tactics and highlight the strategic use of submarine forces in current maritime engagements.
