Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that 84 sailors were killed and 20 remain missing following an attack on the Iranian warship 'Dena', condemning the strike as an 'anti-human crime.'
Following the recent massive wave of U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iranian targets, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has publicly mourned the loss of 104 personnel aboard the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy warship Dena.
According to خبرفوری ࡆ اخبارفوری مذاکره ࡆ جنگ فوری, a Farsi-language Telegram channel aggregating breaking military and conflict news, Pezeshkian announced the heavy casualties in a public address. The channel quotes the President stating that "today, the hearts of the Iranian people are grieving in memory of the 20 missing in action and 84 oppressed brave sailors of the 'Dena' warship."
Pezeshkian utilized standard state-aligned language regarding martyrdom, declaring that the names of the "zealous men" of the Navy will "remain tall and enduring like the steadfast peaks of Dena." He additionally condemned the strike on the vessel, referring to it as an "anti-human crime," and offered condolences to the families and comrades of the sailors.
These naval casualties occur amid a severe military escalation in the region. Recent developments include the U.S. CENTCOM Operation "Epic Wrath," which heavily targeted Iranian military and economic infrastructure on Kharg Island, alongside hundreds of Israeli strikes on Iranian air defenses and military bases.
The source channel included a 'face with tears of joy' (😂) emoji immediately preceding the quote from the Iranian President. It is unclear if this was a typographical error meant to be a sobbing emoji (😭), or if it indicates a mocking, anti-regime editorial stance by the channel administrator. The statement itself faithfully reflects standard Iranian state rhetoric regarding martyrdom. The background context corroborates the heavy US/Israeli strikes that would have targeted assets like the Dena.