Sri Lanka is facing a delicate diplomatic crisis after a US submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena near the southern port city of Galle. The attack occurred within Sri Lanka’s Exclusive Economic Zone and killed at least 87 Iranian sailors, leaving survivors and bodies to be handled by the island nation. Reports say the United States has urged Sri Lanka not to repatriate survivors from the sunken warship and also asked Colombo not to send back the crew of another Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Booshehr, which is currently in Sri Lankan custody.

A controversy is brewing online after the US Central Command revised a statement related to reports of a fighter jet incident over Basra, Iraq. What began as unverified claims on social media quickly escalated into a global debate after CENTCOM edited its public messaging, prompting critics to accuse the US military of changing its narrative. The Pentagon has firmly denied that any US fighter jet crashed in Basra, dismissing viral claims circulating across social platforms. However, the revised wording in CENTCOM’s communication has triggered intense scrutiny, with users online questioning whether the aircraft was lost or shot down. WATCH