Iran-Israel War Day 5: Iranian Warship Sunk, 2,000 Targets Hit, Strait of Hormuz Closed

The war between Iran, Israel, and the United States escalated sharply on its fifth day, with military operations spreading across the Middle East, the Indian Ocean, and now into the eastern Mediterranean — drawing in NATO member Turkey for the first time.

An Iranian government agency confirmed that at least 1,045 people have been killed in Iran since the war broke out on Saturday. The US military death toll stands at four, with the Pentagon identifying the fallen soldiers as Captain Cody A. Khork, Sergeant Declan J. Coady, Sergeant 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, and Sergeant 1st Class Nicole M. Amor.

In one of the most significant naval developments of the conflict, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that a torpedo fired from a US submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean.

At least 80 people were killed in the strike. The vessel had been returning to Iran from the Indian port of Visakhapatnam. Sri Lankan authorities said they had rescued 32 survivors and recovered several bodies from the sea.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine confirmed the scale of the US military campaign at a Pentagon briefing.

"To date, we've hit over 2,000 targets," Caine said, adding that the strikes have focused on dismantling Iranian missile infrastructure and military assets.

Hegseth struck a defiant tone, declaring that Iran "cannot outlast" the United States and that Washington sets "the tone and the tempo of this fight."

Israel announced a fresh ground incursion into southern Lebanon, with Defence Minister Israel Katz ordering the IDF to advance and seize additional strategic locations to prevent attacks on Israeli border communities.

In a separate and pointed development, the Israeli military struck a building in Qom where clerics had gathered to begin selecting Iran's next supreme leader — following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Katz issued a stark public warning that whoever is chosen as Iran's next supreme leader would be "a target for elimination."

Israel also reported that an Israeli Air Force F-35I shot down an Iranian YAK-130 combat aircraft over Tehran — described by the IDF as the world's first shootdown of a manned fighter jet by an F-35.

Iranian missiles and drones continued to strike targets across the Gulf. The UAE intercepted three ballistic missiles and 121 drones. Qatar intercepted 10 drones and two cruise missiles. Iran's IRGC said its ground forces deployed more than 230 assault drones across three major operations.

Iranian attacks damaged communication and radar systems at US military bases in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and the UAE. Satellite images showed smoke rising from Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, destroyed radar equipment in Bahrain and Kuwait, damaged satellite dishes at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, and heavily damaged buildings at Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE.

The American embassy in Saudi Arabia also came under drone attack. Saudi Arabia's Ras Tanura refinery — run by Saudi Aramco and already struck on Monday — was hit again by a drone on Wednesday.

Hezbollah claimed it launched a squadron of attack drones at Israel's Haifa naval base, while air raid sirens continued to sound across Israel as Iranian missiles were intercepted mid-air.

NATO air and missile defence systems in the eastern Mediterranean destroyed a ballistic missile fired from Iran as it entered Turkish airspace after passing over Syria and Iraq.

Turkey's Defence Ministry confirmed the incident — marking the first time the NATO member and Iran's northwestern neighbour has been directly drawn into the expanding conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz — one of the world's most critical oil shipping lanes — remains closed, with more than 10 oil tankers struck by Iran on Wednesday. The Maltese-flagged container ship Safeen Prestige was also damaged by a projectile near the strait, forcing its crew to abandon ship.

Russia has said it is prepared to divert oil supplies to India to help offset disruptions, with approximately 9.5 million barrels of Russian crude already in vessels near Indian waters and able to arrive within weeks.

On a more reassuring note for Indian nationals in the Gulf, evacuation flights have begun landing in India. IndiGo and Air India have partially resumed operations, with special flights from Dubai touching down at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, Chennai International Airport, and Hyderabad, bringing relief to passengers stranded by widespread cancellations.

Iran's state media also announced that the farewell ceremony for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — scheduled for Wednesday — has been postponed, with a new date to be announced.

Also Read: Israel-Iran War: Day 3 Highlights