U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the United States is making gains in its conflict with Iran after a key Iranian naval target was destroyed, confirming that the strike was carried out by a U.S. submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka. Rescue efforts are now under way for the ship’s crew.
Speaking on Wednesday, Hegseth said the United States was “winning” the conflict and insisted American forces could continue operations for as long as necessary.
“Our air defences and those of our allies have plenty of runway. We can sustain this fight easily for as long as we need,” he told reporters.
The Pentagon also confirmed that a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath told parliament that 180 people were aboard the vessel, identified as the IRIS Dena.
The ship had recently participated in a naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal from 18 to 25 February.
Sri Lankan navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said rescue operations began after a distress call from the Iranian vessel. Thirty-two people were rescued and are being treated in hospital in the southern port city of Galle, while several bodies have been recovered from the sea.
“The rescue boats did not see the ship but observed an oil slick,” Sampath said. He added that the incident occurred outside Sri Lankan waters but that Colombo remained committed to providing assistance.
Meanwhile, the top U.S. military officer said Iran is launching fewer missiles than at the start of the conflict as American strikes intensify deeper inside Iranian territory.
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Pentagon briefing: “We will now begin to expand inland, striking progressively deeper into Iranian territory and creating additional freedom of manoeuvre for U.S. forces.”
In a separate operation, the U.S. military said it had killed an Iranian official who led a unit accused of plotting to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
Hegseth said the alleged assassination plot was not the main objective of the campaign but confirmed the individual had been “hunted down and killed”.
“Iran tried to kill President Trump, and President Trump got the last laugh,” Hegseth said, adding that those responsible had eventually been placed on the U.S. target list.
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retal...
Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan have elevated their relations to an allied partnership level with the signing of a new treaty during President Ilham Aliyevâ...
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 31st of July, covering the latest developments....
French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky, whose atmospheric sound shaped a generation of electronic music fans, has died at the age of 50, French authorities said on Tuesday.
Saudi Arabia said its overnight strikes on Iran-backed group targets in Iraq were carried out in self-defence and warned it would take further military action if the groups launched new attacks against the kingdom.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
A fire involving two gas vessels at Egypt's Damietta port has prompted conflicting reports over whether the incident was caused by a drone strike or an onboard technical fault. Egyptian authorities said there were no casualties.
Thousands of migrants have crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, overwhelming border security and prompting local authorities to call for a national emergency and military deployment.
Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan have elevated their relations to an allied partnership level with the signing of a new treaty during President Ilham Aliyev’s state visit to Cholpon-Ata.
Russia may seek compensation from Armenia if Yerevan changes the terms of the South Caucasus Railway (SCR) agreement without mutual consent, Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said.
Georgian Post is no longer focused solely on delivering letters and parcels across Georgia. The state postal operator is transforming into a regional logistics hub following a new agreement with Cainiao, the logistics arm of Alibaba.
Saudi Arabia has extended a $5 billion financial facility for Pakistan until December 2028, easing the country's external financing pressure as Islamabad continues economic reforms under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
President Ilham Aliyev arrived in the Kyrgyz Republic on Wednesday for a state visit focused on expanding economic cooperation, transport connectivity and political coordination between the two Turkic nations.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment