Crew of IRIS Dena (87 recovered, 104 confirmed dead)
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Verified The crew of the Iranian Navy frigate IRIS Dena were 104 sailors killed on March 4, 2026, when their vessel was torpedoed and sank in the Indian Ocean south of Galle, Sri Lanka.
Their Story
The IRIS Dena, hull number 75, was a Moudge-class frigate of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy's Southern Fleet. In late February 2026, the ship and its crew participated in the multinational MILAN 2026 naval exercise hosted by India, an event that included vessels from 74 nations, including the United States.
On the morning of March 4, 2026, while the Dena was transiting international waters approximately 19 nautical miles south of Galle, Sri Lanka, it was struck by a Mark 48 heavyweight torpedo. The weapon was fired by the United States Navy's Los Angeles-class nuclear-powered attack submarine, USS Charlotte. The frigate sank within two to three minutes of the impact.
The incident occurred during a period of heightened naval activity in the Indian Ocean. The Dena was returning from the MILAN exercise, which is designed to foster interoperability among navies, including those with complex diplomatic relations. The U.S. Navy stated the submarine acted in self-defense after detecting what it assessed as an imminent threat, a claim Iran's government categorically rejected.
According to Iranian state media, 104 personnel were confirmed dead. The Sri Lanka Navy conducted search and rescue operations, recovering 87 bodies. Thirty-two survivors were hospitalized in Galle. As of March 12, 2026, the Iranian government had not publicly released the names of individual crew members killed.
The sinking of the Dena resulted in one of the single largest losses of life for the Iranian navy in decades. The crew's collective fate underscores the lethal risks of naval operations, even during periods of multinational engagement intended to build confidence at sea.
Explore Further
The crew was killed during the Sinking of IRIS Dena - Indian Ocean, 2026 (March 2026–March 2026). The conflict concluded in March 2026. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: The Schoolgirls of Minab - 165 Victims, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, General Abdol Rahim Mousavi, Dr. Fereydoon Abbasi.
