At 4:42 PM local time, deep in the north Arabian Sea, alarms screamed across the decks of a US supercarrier as sonar screens lit up: an Iranian attack submarine had just launched a spread of heavyweight torpedoes straight at the carrier strike group.

Within seconds, the carrier swung hard to starboard, churning white water as escorting destroyers pumped out acoustic decoys and launched anti‑torpedo countermeasures. Sailors reported feeling the hull shudder as at least one incoming weapon detonated prematurely in the carrier’s wake, sending a column of water and spray high into the air.

What followed were the longest 18 minutes of the war. US commanders ordered a full “torpedo evasion” drill while helicopters and a P‑8 Poseidon patrol aircraft raced to pin down the Iranian sub’s position. Buoys splashed into the sea, painting a tightening circle on the operators’ screens until a tell‑tale metallic echo gave it away.

At 5:00 PM, a US destroyer fired an anti‑submarine rocket; seconds later, its encapsulated torpedo dropped into the water and locked onto the fleeing contact. Crew aboard nearby ships saw a dull orange flash, then a violent plume as the Iranian submarine was ripped apart beneath the surface. No survivors have been reported.

Tehran insists its “martyr sub” scored a hit on the carrier and vows revenge. Washington counters that the supercarrier is “unharmed and fully mission capable” — and that this failed ambush proves any move on a US flattop will be answered with instant, lethal force.