The United States Navy delivered a precise, decisive blow when a submarine fired a single Mark 48 torpedo and sank an Iranian warship, a rare event officials say is the first sinking of an enemy ship by a U.S. submarine torpedo since World War II. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and military leaders described the strike as a clear demonstration of American naval power and a message that the United States will act to disable threats to regional security and U.S. forces. Newly released Pentagon footage and briefings paint a picture of careful planning, advanced capability, and a focused mission to neutralize a significant Iranian naval asset. The incident has been framed by officials as part of a broader effort to degrade Iran’s capacity to wage asymmetric attacks with missiles, drones, and sea forces.
The briefing presented the submarine attack as surgical and singular: one torpedo, one target, decisive result. “An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth told reporters. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two. Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department. We are fighting to win.”
Officials released a short but striking clip showing the engagement, and further imagery suggested the struck hull settling on the seabed. The Pentagon labeled the action a Navy “fast attack” employing the Mark 48, a heavyweight torpedo known for its lethality and accuracy at range. Top military leaders framed the operation as both a tactical success and a strategic statement that American forces can and will impose costs on actors who threaten maritime stability.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine described the vessel as “effectively neutralized” after the strike, underscoring how a single, well-executed action can remove a maritime threat without wider escalation. For years, critics have pointed to chaotic withdrawals and muddled messages as evidence that our military edge had softened; this episode was presented as a corrective—competent, lethal forces operating under clear orders. Many officials emphasized that precision matters: hitting the target, minimizing collateral effects, and sending a clear deterrent signal to Tehran and its proxies.
Hegseth added a pointed line about the ship’s identity and symbolic weight, saying the U.S. sank the Iranian warship the Soleimani. “The Iranian Navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated. Pick your adjective,” the War Secretary reported. “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.”
Beyond the sinking itself, the operation was framed as part of a larger, integrated campaign. Hegseth laid out objectives in stark terms: “Obliterate Iran’s missiles and drones, and facilities that produce them, annihilate its Navy and critical security infrastructure, and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons. Iran will never possess a nuclear bomb, not on our watch, not ever.” That language positions the submarine strike as one element in a sustained effort to break Iran’s military-industrial leverage.
The imagery of naval power on display was intentionally contrasted with images critics cite as damaging to American standing—scenes of disorder or retreat that erode confidence in U.S. capability. This operation, by contrast, was presented as decisive and controlled, aimed at restoring a sense that American forces remain unmatched when properly directed. Supporters argue that such visible demonstrations of capability serve both deterrence and reassurance, signaling to allies and adversaries alike that the U.S. can defend freedom of navigation and protect critical international waterways.
Military planners and political leaders emphasized restraint in execution while stressing the permanent nature of the outcome: a major enemy vessel removed from action. Release of the footage and photos was calibrated to make the point without inflaming broader conflict, showing a clear capability while avoiding gratuitous provocations. In the view of those who back the move, it reinforces a strategy of targeted, effective actions to degrade threats while keeping the doors open to diplomacy under terms that favor American and allied security.
The episode also reopened debates about how best to manage Iran’s long-term threat profile, from ballistic and cruise missiles to drone swarms and naval harassment. Advocates of the current approach argue that combining precision strikes, economic pressure, and steadfast alliance-building creates the most credible deterrent. Critics will question escalation risks, but officials insist the operation was proportionate and necessary to protect U.S. interests and preserve regional stability.
A 20-second video clip posted to X by the Department of War shares Hegseth’s historic claim and appears to show the ship he was referencing.
A follow-up post shows an image of the strike as well as one of the ship well on its way to becoming an artificial reef.
President Trump ordered an airstrike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani — a terrorist who served as head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force — in 2020.
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