TEHRAN, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's military said on Sunday that 104 people were killed and 32 others injured when the United States attacked the Iranian Navy's Dena frigate in international waters.
In a statement on its website, the military condemned the "inhumane" assault, calling it a "cowardly" and "brutal" attack by the U.S. Navy. The frigate, which had 136 crew members on board, was returning from the International Fleet Review 2026 and Exercise Milan when it was struck.
The army said the U.S. targeted the vessel hundreds of miles from the conflict zone without warning, violating international humanitarian and maritime law. The frigate was torpedoed and sunk by the Los Angeles-class submarine USS Charlotte in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday.
The incident follows Feb. 28 joint strikes by Israel and the United States on Tehran and other Iranian cities, which killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, some of his family members, senior military commanders, and civilians. Iran responded with multiple waves of missile and drone attacks against Israeli and U.S. bases in the Middle East. ■
