The United States-Iran conflict became a ‘global war’ on Wednesday night after an American submarine sank a regime warship in international waters.
A torpedo launched from the US sub struck the Iris Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka, some 2,000 miles from Iran.
Footage showed a huge explosion beneath her stern, followed by haunting images of it sinking on Tuesday.
The Sri Lankan navy responded to the ship’s distress signal and a vessel arrived to see patches of oil in the water and life rafts.
Rescuers plucked 32 survivors from the Indian Ocean while 87 bodies were recovered from the water.
On Wednesday night, a further 70 sailors were missing presumed drowned.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, former Royal Navy chief Lord West said her sinking transformed what had been a regional conflict into a ‘global war’.
He said: ‘It makes the situation rather tricky, as some will say this was outside the Area of Operations.
A torpedo launched from the US sub struck the Iris Dena (pictured) off the coast of Sri Lanka, some 2,000 miles from Iran on Wednesday night
Footage showed a huge explosion beneath her stern (pictured)
This was followed by haunting images (pictured) of it sinking on Tuesday
‘While it is a horrible event, it is acceptable as the US is at war with Iran. Nobody declares war these days but that’s where we’re at.
‘This is now a global war. There would be nothing wrong with Iran attacking US targets anywhere.
‘The toys have been thrown out of the cot. We are fighting a war.’
Lord West added: ‘I feel sorry for the sailors. They would have had no warning. You can see the explosion. Torpedoes are designed to blow up externally.’
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed what he called its ‘quiet death’ in a bombastic address at the Pentagon.
It is the first time since 1945 that an American submarine has sunk an enemy ship this way.
In 1982 the UK torpedoed the Argentine ship Belgrano during the Falklands conflict.
The joint US-Israeli operation to attack Iran had already delivered ‘twice the air power of shock and awe of Iraq in 2003’ and ‘seven times the intensity of Israel’s previous operations against Iran during the 12-day war’.
He added that the Iranian regime ‘are toast, and they know it, or at least soon enough, they will know it’.
US officials said Iran has now lost 20 ships that US forces have ‘struck or sunk to the bottom of the ocean’.
The country’s firing of ballistic missiles and suicide drones has also been slashed, according to the Pentagon.
US figures show Iran’s firing of ballistic missiles has dropped by 86 per cent and its drones by 73 per cent.
But officials warned Iran could be saving missiles to bide its time, hoping to extend the conflict and increase pressure on Donald Trump to find an exit strategy.
On Wednesday night the regime said the death toll from the attacks had reached 1,045.
That includes more than 150 people, mostly children, thought to have died when a stray US missile struck a primary school in Iran.
Pentagon officials are investigating the incident on Saturday.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, former Royal Navy chief Lord West said the sinking of the vessel (pictured, file photo) transformed what had been a regional conflict into a ‘global war’
Rescuers plucked 32 survivors from the Indian Ocean while 87 bodies were recovered from the water. Pictured: An injured Iranian soldier is taken into a hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka, after the strike
On Wednesday night, a further 70 sailors were missing presumed drowned. Pictured: An injured person is transported in a wheelchair at the hospital in Galle, Sri Lanka, to receive treatment after the attack
Iran continued striking its neighbours on Wednesday, including Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Israel. Pictured: Sparks from a missile interception in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Wednesday
Fighting also continued between Hezbollah and Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. Pictured: Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs after an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel on Wednesday
The UK Foreign Office said it was withdrawing some staff from Bahrain over concerns of further attacks there. Pictured: Damage caused by an Iranian drone strike on a building next to a US naval base in Juffair, Bahrain, on Wednesday
In a bid to prevent more assassinations of its leaders, the Iranian regime announced on Wednesday it was postponing indefinitely the funeral of the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The event was expected to draw a crowd of thousands in Tehran.
Iran continued striking its neighbours on Wednesday causing a total blackout in Iraq and firing drones towards a Baghdad airport.
On Wednesday night, the US advised all its citizens to leave Iraq.
Tehran also fired a ballistic missile towards Nato member Turkey.
After crossing Syrian and Iraqi airspace, it was about to enter Turkey when it was intercepted by its defensive systems.
Iran’s target may have been the joint US-Turkish base at Incirlik used by America in previous Gulf Wars.
Iranian projectiles were also reported in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Israel.
And four commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz have been targeted in the last 24 hours.
Fighting also continued between Hezbollah and Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
The UK Foreign Office said it was withdrawing some staff from Bahrain over concerns of further attacks there.
On Wednesday concerns that the conflict could become drawn out led the Institute for Fiscal Studies to warn of slower economic growth, falling incomes and rising inflation in the UK.
Former US general David Petraeus, who led American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, warned that air strikes would not lead to regime change.
He said: ‘This regime is enormous, the police are very robust, the Republican Guards are hundreds of thousands, maybe over a million.
‘We don’t see any cracks yet. Nobody has stepped away from the regime who could bring others with him.
‘So what I am not sure what you can do is bring about regime change.’
On Wednesday night on social media, the Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian told neighbouring Gulf states the country had ‘no choice to defend ourselves’ in response to US and Israeli attacks
Iranians have been warned to remain in their homes otherwise they could be shot – as Republican Guards are hunting for US and Israeli spies.
Food prices have quadrupled since the conflict began on Saturday and the regime had set up additional checkpoints to monitor its citizens.
