Iran Warns of Severe Consequences Following Destruction of Frigate Dena by US in International Waters: Foreign Minister
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, has issued a strong warning, stating that the United States will "bitterly regret" the sinking of Iran's Frigate Dena in international waters, an incident which resulted in the deaths of dozens of sailors.
An assault transpired several hundred miles away in the Indian Ocean, off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, distinct from the Persian Gulf region. In the Gulf, a US-Israeli military coalition has been conducting strikes against Iran in what has been described as an unprovoked conflict since Saturday.
In a recent development on Thursday, Araghchi expressed strong condemnation over an incident at sea, asserting that the U.S. has committed a grave act 2,000 miles from Iran’s coast. The statement highlighted that Frigate Dena, serving as a guest of the Indian Navy with nearly 130 sailors on board, was allegedly targeted in international waters without prior warning. Araghchi warned of significant repercussions, asserting that the U.S. would ultimately come to regret the precedent it has established.
The IRIS Dena frigate met its demise on Wednesday after being torpedoed by a U.S. submarine. This incident occurred while the vessel was making its return journey to Iran from a port in eastern India, as confirmed by Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister.
The frigate IRIS Dena participated in a naval exercise hosted by India in the Bay of Bengal, which took place from February 18 to 25.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported that its naval forces targeted a U.S. oil tanker in the northern Persian Gulf on Thursday, igniting a fire on the vessel.
In retaliation to perceived US-Israeli hostilities towards Iran, the naval and aerospace divisions of the IRGC, along with the Islamic Republic’s national military forces, have initiated extensive missile assaults targeting US military facilities in neighboring countries and sites within Israeli-controlled regions since the weekend.
Iran’s intensifying assaults have led Washington to shut down its embassies and advise American citizens to evacuate the area.
