Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in US torpedo strike to be repatriated

March 13, 2026

A US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian warship Iris Dena in the Indian Ocean on March 4, killing 84 of the approximately 130 sailors aboard while the vessel was returning from military exercises in India. The attack occurred roughly 40 kilometers off Sri Lanka's southern coast in international waters, representing a significant escalation in the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Sri Lankan authorities recovered the bodies and are repatriating them to Iran on Friday, while 32 rescued sailors remain in Sri Lanka.

Who is affected

84 Iranian sailors killed in the torpedo attack
32 Iranian sailors rescued and remaining in Sri Lanka
Approximately 130 total Iranian naval personnel who were aboard the Iris Dena
Iran as a nation
Gulf countries allied with the US (targeted by Iranian retaliatory strikes)
Sri Lankan authorities and facilities (Galle National Hospital, local police, magistrate)
The Iranian embassy in Sri Lanka
US and Israeli military forces

What action is being taken

Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors are being flown home to Iran on Friday
A police escort is transferring bodies to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport
32 rescued sailors are remaining in Sri Lanka
Iran is launching retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, targeting Gulf countries allied with the US

Why it matters

This incident marks a dramatic widening of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, demonstrating that military operations have expanded beyond the immediate Middle East region into international waters of the Indian Ocean. The attack and Iran's retaliatory response risk escalating into a broader regional or international conflict involving Gulf states and potentially other nations. The incident also establishes a precedent for direct military engagement between US and Iranian forces far from either nation's shores, which could fundamentally alter the rules of engagement in the ongoing conflict.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC