Guwahati: Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Thursday warned that the United States would face consequences for setting a dangerous precedent after an American submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka.
In his first public acknowledgement of the incident, Araghchi accused Washington of carrying out what he described as an unjustified attack in international waters far from Iran’s territory. He said the warship, which had been operating as a guest of the Indian Navy and carried about 130 sailors, was struck without warning, adding that the United States would ultimately regret the action.
The sinking of the vessel comes amid rapidly escalating hostilities involving Iran, the United States and Israel across the wider Middle East.
Iran launched a fresh wave of missile strikes on Thursday, targeting Israeli territory and American military installations across the region. Missiles were reportedly fired toward Bahrain, Kuwait and Israel as tensions continued to rise.
Turkey said NATO defence systems intercepted a ballistic missile launched from Iran before it could enter Turkish airspace.
Israel reported multiple incoming missile attacks, with air-raid sirens sounding in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iranian state television also claimed that additional strikes had targeted American bases in the region.
In response, the Israeli military said it carried out strikes in Lebanon against positions linked to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
The pace of American and Israeli military operations against Iran has intensified in recent days. Iranian state television announced on Wednesday that a planned mourning ceremony for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the beginning of the war, had been postponed.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump praised the performance of American forces, saying the military was making strong progress on the battlefield.
Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Senate also backed the administration’s approach, voting down a resolution that sought to halt the war.
At a Pentagon briefing, U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the duration of the military campaign against Iran remained uncertain and could extend for several weeks depending on developments. He added that Washington intended to maintain operational pressure while keeping its adversaries off balance.
According to officials in the affected countries, the conflict has so far killed more than 1,000 people in Iran, over 70 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel.
The war has also disrupted global oil and gas supplies, affected international shipping routes and left hundreds of thousands of travellers stranded across the Middle East, raising concerns about broader economic and geopolitical repercussions.