Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 6, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 1, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThree Australian defence personnel were aboard a U.S. submarine that torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka; Prime Minister Albanese emphasized they did not participate in the strike, which marked the first time a U.S. submarine sank an enemy vessel by torpedo since World War
(Fixes typo in headline)
SYDNEY, March 6 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that three Australian defence personnel were on board a United States submarine that sank an Iranian warship with a torpedo in the Indian Ocean, but stressed they did not take part in the attack.
The strike, which occured off the southern coast of Sri Lanka this week, marked the first time since World War Two that the United States has sunk an enemy vessel with a torpedo. Sri Lankan authorities recovered the bodies of 87 sailors.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)
No, Australian defence personnel aboard the US submarine did not take part in the attack, according to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
They were on board as part of training linked to the AUKUS defence pact between Australia, the US, and Britain.
The incident occurred in the Indian Ocean, off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
Australia has ruled out any military role in the conflict, but supports efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
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