U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a U.S. submarine used a torpedo to sink the Iranian warship. Furthermore the vessel was named after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Qasem Soleimani. In addition Qasem Soleimani died in a 2020 drone strike. President Trump ordered the strike at that time.
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen Highlights Historic Achievement
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine addressed reporters at the same briefing. Consequently he described the significance of the event. “This was the first time since 1945 that a U.S. Navy submarine sunk an enemy combatant ship using a single Mark 48 torpedo to achieve immediate effect sending the warship to the bottom of the sea” he said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Adds Dramatic Details
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided further information about the attack. “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters” he said. “Instead it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death.” As a result the warship descended to the bottom immediately. Meanwhile the strike occurred on Tuesday.
Pentagon Officials Stress Naval Precision
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine spoke together during the briefing. Therefore they emphasized the effectiveness of the single torpedo.
Subsequently the action marked the first submarine torpedo sinking of an enemy combatant ship by the U.S. Navy since 1945. In addition the operation took place in international waters. The briefing concluded with confirmation of the successful mission. Finally officials presented the sinking as a demonstration of U.S. naval capability in the region.
