The final call from IRIS Dena before US torpedo struck

Minutes before the Iranian warship IRIS Dena was struck by a torpedo from a United States Navy submarine in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, a sailor aboard the vessel made a frantic phone call to his father.

According to a report by Iran International, the sailor said American forces had twice ordered the crew to abandon the warship shortly before the attack on March 4.

Despite the warnings, the commander of IRIS Dena reportedly refused to allow the crew to leave the ship.


The report, citing a source close to the sailor’s family, said tensions rose on board as some crew members argued with the commander over the decision. Those who survived the attack were largely sailors who managed to escape in lifeboats after the warnings were issued.

Initial reports suggested there were around 180 crew members aboard the frigate. However, Seyed Abbas Araghchi later wrote on X that 130 sailors were on board at the time of the attack.

By the time the Sri Lanka Navy reached the location after receiving a distress signal, the warship had already sunk. The navy found 32 sailors adrift in lifeboats on the high seas and rescued them, bringing them ashore.

Soon after, another Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Bushehr, carrying 208 crew members, sought refuge in Sri Lanka.

In a related development, Jayne Howell urged Sri Lankan authorities not to repatriate the survivors of IRIS Dena or the crew of IRIS Bushehr, who are currently in Sri Lankan custody.

According to an internal United States Department of State cable dated March 6 and seen by Reuters, the US diplomat advised that “Sri Lankan authorities should minimise Iranian attempts to use the detainees for propaganda.”

The cable also said Howell told the Embassy of Israel in India that there were no immediate plans to repatriate the Iranian sailors.

The Israeli envoy reportedly asked whether there had been any engagement with the detained crew to encourage “defection”, the cable said.

The incident has added a new layer of geopolitical tension to an already volatile regional environment as multiple nations watch developments closely in the Indian Ocean and the wider West Asian theatre.