US Submarine Sinks Iranian Frigate Off Sri Lanka
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- A US Navy submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka's southern coast with a torpedo — the first US submarine warship kill since World War II — with 87 bodies recovered, 32 rescued, and roughly 60 of the 180-strong crew still unaccounted for.
- NATO air defenses shot down an Iranian ballistic missile headed for Türkiye, the first time Türkiye — NATO's second-largest military — was drawn into the conflict, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said there was no sense it would trigger the alliance's collective-defence clause.
- US Central Command said American forces have "struck or sunk to the bottom of the ocean" more than 20 Iranian ships as the Strait of Hormuz remained paralyzed for a fifth day, with at least 200 vessels anchored and oil prices stuck at their highest in more than a year.
- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed by Israeli forces on Saturday, with his son Mojtaba emerging as frontrunner to succeed him and Assembly member Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami saying candidates have been identified but not named; Israel said it would hunt down whoever is chosen.
- Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine said Iran is firing fewer missiles, signaling its military capabilities are "greatly diminished," as Israel eased public safety instructions at home and struck a Tehran compound housing the Republican Guard, intelligence, cyber warfare, and internal police.
- Asian markets saw a rout including a record-breaking crash in Seoul, while European markets recovered and US stocks closed higher — gains traders partly tied to a New York Times report that Iranian intelligence had reached out to the CIA about ending the war, which Iran called "absolute lies."
Why it matters: US Central Command has struck or sunk more than 20 Iranian ships, with Caine calling Iran's capabilities "greatly diminished" — yet Mojtaba Khamenei remains frontrunner to replace his slain father, signaling hardline continuity even as military losses mount. The conflict's jump to Sri Lanka and Türkiye shows it can no longer be contained to the Middle East, with 200+ vessels stranded and oil at year-plus highs.
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