Canberra: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday that three members of Australia’s defence forces were present on a United States submarine that torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean earlier this week, though he stressed they were not involved in the attack itself.
The incident reportedly occurred off the southern coast of Sri Lanka and has drawn international attention as it marks the first instance since World War II that the United States has destroyed an enemy ship using a torpedo in combat. Authorities in Sri Lanka said the bodies of 87 sailors were recovered following the sinking.
Speaking to Sky News, Albanese explained that the Australian personnel were on board the US submarine as part of training arrangements linked to the AUKUS defence pact, a trilateral security agreement involving Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom aimed at strengthening military cooperation and enabling Australia to develop nuclear-powered submarines.
The prime minister clarified that while the Australian defence members were present during the operation, they did not participate in the strike against the Iranian vessel.
“These kinds of third-country training arrangements have existed for many years,” Albanese said, adding that Australia has not taken part in direct military action against Iran.
Australia, a long-standing ally of the United States, has maintained that it will not join combat operations in the ongoing conflict but remains supportive of international efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.
The revelation comes as hostilities in West Asia continue to intensify. Recent days have seen US and Israeli aircraft carry out strikes across several Iranian locations, while retaliatory attacks have been reported in parts of the Gulf region, raising concerns about a widening regional conflict.
