Video: Middle East War Moves Closer To India As US Navy Sinks Iranian Ship Off Sri Lanka Coast

New Delhi: Following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the war between Iran and the United States has intensified. The US Navy sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, near India and off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, using a submarine. A video of this horrific attack has emerged, showing the warship being attacked. This attack in the Indian Ocean appears to have expanded the scope of the war, which had previously been confined to the Middle East and Gulf regions.

What does the video show?

At the time of the attack, approximately 180 people were aboard the Iranian warship. 87 people have died so far, and many are missing in the water. Immediately after the attack, the Sri Lankan Navy launched an operation to rescue the Iranians aboard the warship. A 20-second video has been released by the US Department of War, showing the Iranian warship being targeted. Within seconds, a massive explosion occurs on the ship, and water is seen rising several feet.

https://t.co/PiqQpVIrMu pic.twitter.com/Wc1e0B0um7

— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) March 4, 2026

What was the incident?

The Iranian warship IRIS Dena was returning to Iran from India when it was attacked in the Indian Ocean. It had recently participated in the International Fleet Review 2026 held in Visakhapatnam. US Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth said, "In the Indian Ocean—an American submarine sank an Iranian warship, which thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo—a quiet death. This is the first time an enemy ship has been sunk by a torpedo since World War II." Just like in that war—when we were still the War Department—we are fighting to win."

What are the casualty figures?

Sri Lankan police and defense officials said the Sri Lankan Navy has recovered the bodies of 87 sailors from an Iranian warship. "We have collected 87 bodies, and the search for the remaining missing is still ongoing," a navy official told the media. Police and navy spokesmen said 61 sailors are still missing. According to officials, about 32 have been rescued and are being treated at a hospital in Galle city.