During a press briefing on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that a U.S. Navy submarine successfully fired a single Mark 48 torpedo, sinking an Iranian warship. This marks the first time since World War II that a U.S. submarine has taken out an enemy vessel with a torpedo, delivering what Hegseth described as a “quiet death” to the ship, which now rests at the bottom of the ocean.
The Pentagon has released newly captured footage showcasing the impressive precision of the attack.
“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” Hegseth told reporters. “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War Two. Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department. We are fighting to win.”
https://t.co/PiqQpVIrMu pic.twitter.com/Wc1e0B0um7
— Department of War ?? (@DeptofWar) March 4, 2026
A 20-second video clip shared by the Department of War on X showcases Hegseth’s historic assertion and appears to feature the ship he was referring to.
In a follow-up post, an image captures the strike along with a view of the ship as it embarks on its journey to becoming an artificial reef.
https://t.co/J4grAgoqxc pic.twitter.com/szOofLkh9W
— Department of War ?? (@DeptofWar) March 4, 2026
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, who joined Hegseth during the briefing, stated that the Iranian ship was “effectively neutralized” by a Navy “fast attack” using a single torpedo. It’s truly impressive to watch that video, showcasing the power, precision, and effectiveness of the U.S. Navy strike.
We’ve long been bombarded with images that paint a different picture—like an Air Force jet leaving Afghanistan while desperate people cling to it or Iranian forces making sailors kneel with their hands behind their heads.
It’s refreshing to be reminded that, under capable leadership, our military forces are the most formidable on the planet. Adding a layer of significance to the destruction of the Iranian navy, Hegseth noted that the U.S. Navy had sunk the Iranian warship Soleimani.
“The Iranian Navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf. Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed, defeated. Pick your adjective,” the War Secretary reported. “In fact, last night we sunk their prize ship, the Soleimani. Looks like POTUS got him twice. Their navy, not a factor. Pick your adjective. It is no more.”
? JUST IN: After Trump kiIIed Soleimani in 2020, the US military has now sunken his “pride ship,” the Soleimani
HEGSETH “Looks like POTUS got him twice!”
DAMN ?
pic.twitter.com/WRGoMckMPD— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 4, 2026
In 2020, President Trump authorized an airstrike that resulted in the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who was the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ elite Quds Force, labeled as a terrorist.
Regardless of your views on the United States’ involvement in curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, it’s truly inspiring to witness the remarkable achievements of our brave men and women in the military.
“The mission is laser-focused,” Hegseth explained. “Obliterate Iran’s missiles and drones, and facilities that produce them, annihilate its Navy and critical security infrastructure, and sever their pathway to nuclear weapons. Iran will never possess a nuclear bomb, not on our watch, not ever.”
