‘Will hit enemy where it least expects’: Iran Navy chief vows to avenge blood of Dena martyrs

The commander of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, issued a warning to the United States and Israel on Wednesday, vowing that the enemy will face deadly retaliation for the massacre of Iranian Navy officers.

“We will not forget the enemy’s crime, and we will exact retribution for the blood of our martyrs,” Rear Admiral Irani said, referring to the martyrs of the Dena destroyer.

“The enemy should know that we will punish it with deadly strikes from where it least expects.”

On March 4, the Iranian Navy’s Dena destroyer was attacked by a US submarine-launched MK-48 torpedo approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Galle, Sri Lanka, while it was returning from a multinational naval exercise in India.

A total of 104 crew members were martyred in the terrorist attack, with 87 bodies recovered and 32 sailors rescued, according to reports citing officials.

The IRIS Dena had been officially invited by the Indian Navy to participate in the joint exercise before being targeted in international waters by the US Navy in the middle of the war against the Iranian nation.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, which drew global outrage and condemnation, describing it as the first sinking of a ship by torpedo since World War II.

Rear Admiral Irani said the nation was grieved by the tragedy but emphasized Iran’s military resolve to exact revenge for the blood of martyrs.

“Although today we mourn our loved ones, by the grace of God, we have brought the enemy to its knees,” he declared.

The navy chief’s warning signals that Iran’s retaliation may extend beyond conventional battlefields, with potential operations targeting enemy assets in unexpected theaters.

The funeral procession for the Dena martyrs would be held on Tuesday evening, and they would be laid to rest the following day, according to authorities.

The US-Israeli war coalition launched an unprovoked war of aggression on Iran on February 28, assassinating the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and several top commanders.

In response, Iranian armed forces have so far carried out 56 waves of Operation True Promise, pummelling Israeli military sites and US military bases across the region.