US Submarine Sinks India Hosted Iranian Warship in Indian Ocean

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India’s LEMOA Agreement Under Scrutiny as War Nears Indian Waters

By TRH World Desk

New Delhi, March 4, 2026 — United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has confirmed that an American submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. He described the event as “the first sinking of an enemy vessel by torpedo since the Second World War II.”

“Yesterday in the Indian Ocean, an American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth said, addressing the strike directly. He added that “the ship was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death — the first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two.”

The vessel identified as the target was the IRIS Dena, an Iranian naval warship.

Sri Lanka Raises Alarm Over Maritime Security

The strike, which reportedly occurred close to Sri Lankan territorial waters, has drawn an urgent response from Colombo. Sri Lankan parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksha called the incident “extremely serious,” saying reports indicate over 100 Iranian personnel are missing following what he described as a submarine attack just outside Sri Lanka’s waters.

“If military activity of this scale is happening so close to Sri Lanka, the government cannot treat it as someone else’s problem,” Rajapaksha said. He asked, “were we aware of submarine movements? Were our surveillance systems functioning? Or were we completely in the dark?”

Rajapaksha acknowledged that the Sri Lanka Navy had launched search and rescue operations following a distress call, citing the country’s obligations under the Merchant Shipping Act. “Their swift response reflects the Navy’s proud tradition of service and vigilance at sea,” he said.

The lawmaker called for greater accountability, warning that Sri Lanka, sitting at the heart of the Indian Ocean, must remain vigilant in safeguarding maritime security, humanitarian response, and regional stability. “Incidents like this remind us that tensions far beyond our region are now touching these waters,” he added.

India’s LEMOA Agreement Draws Scrutiny

The proximity of the strike to Indian waters has reignited debate in India over its logistics agreement with the United States. Strategic affairs analyst Zorawar Daulet Singh in a post on X said Iranian missile activity had pushed the US Navy close to Indian waters and pointed directly to the agreement as relevant context. “This is precisely one of the scenarios for which the US signed the LEMOA with India,” Singh said, warning of the risk of India becoming “an inadvertent war party in an aggressive and unprovoked” conflict.

Political commentator Kapil Komireddy in a post on X was sharper in his criticism, laying responsibility at the door of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “LEMOA, shelved by the UPA, was revived by Modi. Old hands in the MEA objected furiously because the deal offered few benefits to India while opening up Indian facilities to the US military. Modi ratified it anyway. The consequences may now be upon us,” Komireddy said.