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Koehler in Sri Lanka, February 2026.
Questions are being raised over whether a recent visit by the commander of the United States Pacific Fleet to Sri Lanka is linked to the sinking of an Iranian warship in waters near the island.
The concerns follow the confirmation by United States Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that an American submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian naval vessel in the Indian Ocean, near Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
Speaking on Wednesday, Hegseth said the strike marked a historic naval engagement.
“Yesterday in the Indian Ocean… an American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since Works Word II. Like in that war, Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win.”
The admission came after Sri Lankan authorities launched a large search and rescue operation off the southern coast near the city of Galle following a distress call from the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, a Moudge class frigate that had been sailing in the region.
Earlier reports cited by Reuters from sources in Sri Lanka’s navy and defence ministry said at least 101 personnel were missing and dozens wounded following the attack. Around 180 sailors were believed to have been on board when the vessel went down.
Sri Lanka Navy vessels and air force aircraft were dispatched after the distress signal was received at dawn on Wednesday. Survivors were later rescued from the sea and transported to the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle.
Sri Lanka Navy spokesperson Buddhika Sampath said responders encountered sailors drifting in the water when they arrived at the location.
Authorities also confirmed that several bodies believed to belong to the crew had been recovered in the search area. “We suspect the dead bodies also belong to the same ship as we found them in the demarcated area,” Sampath said.
Despite reports in foreign media suggesting the vessel had been attacked, the Sri Lanka Navy initially said the cause of the incident could not yet be confirmed while rescue operations were ongoing.
The IRIS Dena, commissioned in 2021, is considered one of the Iranian navy’s most modern combat vessels and forms part of its Southern Fleet. The frigate had recently taken part in the MILAN 2026 multinational naval exercise and fleet review held in Visakhapatnam, India.
The sinking occurred less than two weeks after the commander of the United States Pacific Fleet, Admiral Steve ‘Web’ Koehler, visited Sri Lanka as Washington sought to deepen military cooperation with Colombo.
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Koehler in Sri Lanka, February 2026.
According to a statement released by the United States Embassy in Colombo, Koehler’s visit from 19 to 21 February included meetings with Sri Lankan government officials and military leaders aimed at “advancing cooperation in maritime security, regional stability, and to enhance collaboration and interoperability”.
The US Pacific Fleet is the largest naval fleet command in the world and operates across the Indo-Pacific region.
The Embassy stated that the visit “highlights the strategic importance the United States places on Sri Lanka’s role at the crossroads of global maritime routes” and underscores “our shared long-term commitment to a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific”.
During the trip, Koehler also visited the Port of Colombo where discussions focused on maritime security and economic cooperation. In a statement posted on social media, the US Embassy said the partnership between Washington and Colombo extended beyond defence ties.
“The U.S.-Sri Lanka security relationship strengthens more than defense — it supports economic security for both our countries.
“At the Port of Colombo, Admiral Steve Koehler met with Sri Lanka Ports Authority to explore opportunities to strengthen maritime security. When Sri Lanka can safeguard its waters & operate a secure, efficient global transshipment hub, trade moves smoothly, businesses grow, & jobs are supported — in Sri Lanka & in the United States. Our U.S.-SL partnership is built on transparency, trust, & mutual benefit at one of the world’s most important maritime crossroads.”
USS Santa Barbara.
Last year, the US Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) visited Colombo, in what Washington hailed as a demonstration of the “strength” of US - Sri Lanka relations and their “shared commitment” to maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
In 2024, Koehler officially handed over a Beechcraft King Air 360ER aircraft to the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF), as he celebrated increasing military cooperation between the two countries during his first visit to the island
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The Beechcraft King Air 360ER gifted to Sri Lanka.
“The United States and Sri Lanka are doing more together as professional militaries than ever before,” said Admiral Koehler.
Washington has increasingly framed its engagement with Sri Lanka through the lens of maritime security, particularly as strategic competition intensifies across the Indo-Pacific.
However, the growing military relationship has raised longstanding concerns among Tamils and human rights advocates, who warn that strengthening Sri Lanka’s security apparatus risks further entrenching institutions accused of grave abuses.
