INTERNACIONAL
$4.2M US torpedo detonates under Iranian warship in historic ‘No Mercy’ strike
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A multi-million-dollar U.S. Navy torpedo detonated underneath an Iranian warship in a nighttime submarine strike off Sri Lanka’s southern coast — an attack, War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday in a Pentagon update, was the first of its kind since World War II.
The weapon, identified as a Mark 48 Advanced Capability (ADCAP) torpedo, underscored the scale of force used, and signaled to Tehran that «the gloves really are off,» according to a former U.S. submarine commander.
«The Mark 48 is one of the most lethal anti-ship weapons in the U.S. inventory,» Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Fox News Digital.
The torpedo carries a 650-pound warhead and is designed not to strike a ship directly, Shugart said, but to detonate beneath it, creating a massive vapor bubble that breaks the vessel’s back and splits it in half.
A U.S. submarine sunk an Iranian warship in international waters in the Indian Ocean, War Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Wednesday. (@DeptofWar / X)
«This torpedo detonated underneath the stern of the Iranian ship and lifted it up out of the water, and so it sank in a matter of minutes,» he added.
The torpedo costs approximately $4.2 million per unit, according to recent data, with Shugart likening the strike to rare submarine attacks in modern naval history.
In addition to World War II, he pointed to the 1982 Falklands War as one example of a submarine-launched torpedo sinking a major surface combatant.
«This was the second time ever that a nuclear-powered submarine has fired a torpedo and sunk a ship,» Shugart said.
«The only other time that happened was a British submarine called HMS Conqueror, which similarly sank an Argentine cruiser, the General Belgrano, during the Falklands War in 1982,» he added.
TRUMP SAYS US MISSION IN IRAN IS ‘AHEAD OF SCHEDULE,’ VOWS TO ‘EASILY PREVAIL’ OVER REGIME
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be Defense secretary, at the completion of his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)
The naval submarine operation, he said, would have involved increased surveillance, forward naval deployments and targeted actions designed to demonstrate U.S. maritime dominance.
«It definitely seems to me like a message that the gloves really are off,» Shugart added.
«An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,» Hegseth told reporters at the Wednesday briefing.
FORMER TOPGUN PILOT DECLARES IRAN MILITARY ‘OVER WITH’ AMID US AIR SUPERIORITY, BUT WARNS OF ANOTHER DANGER
In this photo provided by U.S. Navy, the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) returns to U.S. Naval Base in Guam, Aug. 19, 2021. (Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Naomi Johnson/U.S. Navy via AP)
Hesgeth described the strike as «a quiet death,» adding that it marked the first sinking of an enemy ship by torpedo since World War II.
«The U.S. Navy submarines are very highly mobile, very, very quiet, and our crews are extremely well-trained,» Shugart explained. «This was not a challenge for a U.S. Navy submarine to fire a torpedo.»
«To hunt down and sink an Iranian ship like that is not — that’s not a challenging task for a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine,» he said.
The targeted vessel, identified as the IRIS Dena, was the newest frigate in Iran’s naval fleet and was equipped with surface-to-air missiles, anti-ship missiles, torpedo launchers and other heavy weaponry.
According to Sri Lanka’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath, the country’s coast guard received a distress call at 5:08 a.m. local time Wednesday from the Iranian vessel reporting an explosion.
EX-CENTCOM CHIEF DETAILS ‘EXQUISITE INTELLIGENCE’ BEHIND IRAN STRIKES, SAYS NEXT STEPS HINGE ON ‘MISSILE MATH’
Healthcare workers unload the bodies of Iranian sailors from a vehicle who died when their IRIS Dena warship sank outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters, in Galle, Sri Lanka, Wednesday, March 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
«I’m not sure Iran has any operational submarines anymore, but if they were operational, their biggest submarines would be at least 20 or 30 years old,» Shugart said.
«They would be ex-Russian diesel-electric submarines, so they’re not nuclear-powered like the U.S. ones, with satellite communications and unlimited mobility.»
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
«The U.S. submarines can operate at high speed for as long as they want with unlimited endurance, other than the food on board. They carry the most advanced weapons, the most advanced sensors.»
«This strike sent a message that if there are any Iranian warships left or any Iranian government-owned ships, they should expect no mercy,» he added.
Related Article
war with iran,iran,middle east,us navy,wars
INTERNACIONAL
Iran continues firing missiles, drones at neighboring states, with multiple interceptions reported
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Iran launched a new wave of attacks on Thursday, with explosions reported in the region and Tehran threatening that the U.S. would «bitterly regret» sinking an Iranian warship.
Iran’s strikes on Thursday targeted Israel, American bases and countries in the region. Israel announced multiple incoming missile attacks as air raid sirens blared in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defense on Thursday said Iran used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in an attack on Nakhchivan International Airport and other civilian infrastructure. The ministry said the details of the attack and the capabilities of the UAVs were being investigated.
«The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan strongly condemns the attacks carried out by the armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against civilian infrastructure on the territory of Azerbaijan in the absence of any military necessity. The Islamic Republic of Iran bears the entire responsibility for the incident,» the ministry’s statement read.
Explosions seen and heard in Azerbaijan as Iran launches retaliatory attacks across the Middle East. (East2West)
Iran has not acknowledged targeting Azerbaijan, despite the country’s ministry of defense pointing the finger at Tehran.
Qatar evacuated residents near the U.S. Embassy in Doha on Thursday, with its Ministry of Defense confirming that the country was «subjected to a missile attack» and that its air defense systems were able to intercept it. The ministry urged the public to remain calm and avoid unofficial information.
Abu Dhabi announced that its authorities were responding to an incident involving falling debris in ICAD 2, which is part of the Industrial City of Abu Dhabi. Six people, identified by Abu Dhabi as Pakistani and Nepali nationals, suffered minor to moderate injuries.
A plume of smoke rises over buildings in Doha, Qatar, on March 5, 2026. (Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images)
FORMER TOPGUN PILOT DECLARES IRAN MILITARY ‘OVER WITH’ AMID US AIR SUPERIORITY, BUT WARNS OF ANOTHER DANGER
Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes since the launch of Operation Epic Fury, with the latest wave coming one day after the U.S. sunk an Iranian warship, killing at least 87 Iranian sailors. Sri Lankan navy spokesman Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said 32 people were rescued from the wreck and were admitted to a hospital.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth defended the move during a news briefing at the Pentagon.
«An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters. Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo — Quiet Death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II. Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win,» Hegseth said.
Missile interceptions are seen in the sky on March 5, 2026, in Central Israel. (Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
ISRAEL’S MILITARY RELEASES VIDEO SHOWING OBLITERATION OF IRAN’S MISSILE LAUNCHERS, DEFENSE SYSTEMS
Iranian leaders condemned the attack, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accusing the U.S. Navy of committing «an atrocity at sea.» Meanwhile, Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi Amoli appeared on state television and called for the shedding of Israeli and «Trump’s blood.»
«Fight the oppressive America, his blood is on my shoulders,» he said in a rare call for violence from an ayatollah, one of the highest ranks within the clergy of Shiite Islam.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
The U.S. and Israel launched the war on Saturday with strikes targeting Iran’s leadership, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed. Iran’s missile arsenal and nuclear facilities were also hit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Related Article
war with iran,world,iran,israel,middle east
INTERNACIONAL
‘Outsider’ TV veteran jumps into swing state House race aiming to flip longtime red seat back to GOP
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
FIRST ON FOX: Longtime West Michigan meteorologist Terri DeBoer is launching a run for Congress as a Republican, hoping to represent the state’s 3rd Congressional District in a campaign centered on border security, economic issues and what she called restoring «fiscal sanity» in Washington.
«I’m an outsider,» DeBoer told Fox News Digital in her first interview since becoming a candidate for Congress as a Republican running to unseat Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., who has held the seat since 2023.
«I am a West Michigan resident, and as an outsider, I believe that West Michigan is not blue, West Michigan is not red. West Michigan is all about solving the problems that we face, no matter who has those ideas, no matter what side of the aisle they happen to sit on.»
DeBoer has spent more than 30 years on West Michigan television, working at stations including WWMT-TV, WOOD-TV and most recently FOX-17 (WXMI-TV), where she returned in 2024 after a brief break.
Meteorologist Terri DeBoer has launched a congressional bid in Michigan. (Fox News Digital/Getty Images)
She began her career in broadcast journalism as a news reporter before transitioning to meteorology in the early 1990s. Known to many viewers as «everyone’s mom,» DeBoer has been a steady on-air presence during major weather events, including the 1998 derecho and the 2022 Christmas blizzard.
DeBoer says she sees similarities between her previous position, where she was affectionately referred to by many as «everyone’s mom,» and helping people navigate and prepare for tough weather ahead.
DEMOCRATS NAME CANDIDATES TO ‘RED TO BLUE’ INITIATIVE, AIMING TO FLIP GOP MAJORITY DURING MIDTERMS
The US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«I am asking the people of Michigan’s 3rd District to send me to Capitol Hill so that I can make a difference helping prepare people for the storms that we’re facing and help steer us away from the impact of those storms,» DeBoer said.
DeBoer, a wife, mother and grandmother, says her interest in politics was inspired by hearing former President Ronald Reagan speak in person during her senior year of high school. She said she thought to herself that if she ever had the opportunity to «serve my country,» she would «step forward and do it.»
DeBoer is the first major Republican candidate to enter the race in a district the Cook Political Report ranks as «Solid D,» in a state that President Donald Trump carried in 2024 and that is known for narrow margins of victory.
Additionally, when Scholten won her election, she became the first Democrat to win that seat since the 1970s.
National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Zach Bannon called Scholten a «rubber stamp» for the «radical far left» in a statement to Fox News Digital and said Republicans are «on the offense.»
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) speaks at a press conference following a House Democratic Caucus meeting. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Other priorities from DeBoer, according to a press release and her newly launched campaign website, include pushing back against the «political elite» and «open-border policies» and advocating for affordability.
«For me, I am someone who is willing to listen to all great ideas, because I know that the problems that we have to solve, we are going to face, are going to need to be tackled by everyone, and so we need to come together and the best way to come together is to send an outsider to Washington,» DeBoer said. «I have loyalty to West Michigan. I don’t have loyalty to a party.»
Republicans currently control the House by a 218-214 majority, with two right-tilting districts and one left-leaning seat vacant. Democrats need a net gain of three seats in the midterms to win back the majority for the first time in four years.
Related Article
midterm elections,michigan,politics,house of representatives,elections
Javier Milei viaja otra vez a Estados Unidos y estará seis días fuera del país
El fiscal del caso AMIA dijo que hay pruebas que demuestran la responsabilidad de Hezbollah en el atentado: “Es un títere de Irán”
Adiós al calor: se termina el verano y se viene un fin de semana ventoso e inestable
¡Bomba! Angel de Brito anticipó quiénes serán los próximos eliminados de Gran Hermano a causa de un escándalo: «Afuera»
Iran continues firing missiles, drones at neighboring states, with multiple interceptions reported
La Argentina registró el segundo peor desempeño industrial en un ranking de 56 países
La histórica figura de Intrusos que se va del programa y armó un escándalo con Adrián Pallares y Rodrigo Lussich: “Me voy”, reveló Pablo Layus
¡Otro abandono! El participante de Gran Hermano que anunció su salida de la casa: La confesión de Gabriel Lucero que se suma a la lista de renuncias
Puertas adentro, Villarruel explotó: «El esfuerzo no lo hizo la política» y demolió el relato económico de Milei
Pampita se mudó a un castillo francés de detalles alucinantes: «1000 metros, 14 ambientes, vale 11 millones de dólares»
POLITICA3 días agoPuertas adentro, Villarruel explotó: «El esfuerzo no lo hizo la política» y demolió el relato económico de Milei
- CHIMENTOS3 días ago
Pampita se mudó a un castillo francés de detalles alucinantes: «1000 metros, 14 ambientes, vale 11 millones de dólares»
- CHIMENTOS3 días ago
El drama que vive Oriana Sabatini a horas del nacimiento de su hija con Paulo Dybala: se complicó la salud de su abuela de 90 años
