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WATCH: US torpedo sinks Iranian warship
The US military command in the Middle East released video of a torpedo launched from an American submarine smash into and sink a warship of the Iranian navy. The video shows the explosion and photos have been released of the vessel sinking.
A U.S. Navy submarine sank an Iranian warship in international waters, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday, the first such sinking of an enemy ship since World War II.
Hegseth made the announcement during a press briefing at the Pentagon with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine where the two provided an update to reporters on "Operation Epic Fury" in Iran.
"An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters," Hegseth said. "Instead, it was sunk deadly
Caine said that an Iranian vessel was "effectively neutralized" in a Navy "fast attack" using a single Mark 48 torpedo. He added that the U.S. Navy achieved "immediate effect, sending the warship to the bottom of the sea."
Hegseth said that the U.S. Navy sank the Iranian warship, the Soleimani. The flagship was named for Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian military officer who served in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps who the U.S. killed in a January 2020 drone strike during President Donald Trump's first term.
"The Iranian Navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated. Pick your adjective," Hegseth said. "In fact, last night we sunk their prize ship, the Soleimani. Looks like POTUS got him twice. Their navy, not a factor. Pick your adjective. It is no more."
The Source: Information in this article was provided by the Pentagon, the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), FOX News, and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.