Australian Sailors Were Ordered To Sleeping Quarters When US Sank Iran Ship

Australians serving aboard a US submarine that sank an Iranian warship last week were reportedly ordered to their sleeping quarters when the operation was underway. 

Last week, a US Navy submarine torpedoed the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean.

The USS Charlotte, a US attack submarine, launched two MK‑48 torpedoes towards the Iranian ship. When the submarine fired torpedoes at the Iranian ship, the Australians were asked to stay in their sleeping quarters, according to The Telegraph.

After a meeting of Australia's National Security Committee, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that three sailors from the Royal Australian Navy were on the US submarine as part of an Aukus training programme.

Aukus is a defence agreement between three countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The partnership was created to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific region, especially as China increases its military and strategic presence there. 

"I can confirm also, though, that no Australian personnel have participated in any offensive action against Iran. These are long-standing third-country arrangements that have been in place for a long period of time," said Albanese, reported Nightly.

He said that when members of the Australian Defence Force work with the military of other countries, they must still follow Australia's own laws and government policies, even if they are placed within another country's military unit or equipment.

Australia has been sending its naval personnel to work with the United States on nuclear-powered submarines since 2023, with the purpose of training crews and giving them real operational experience.

"What they do is ensure that Australian Defence Force personnel, where they're embedded in third countries' defence assets, they act in accordance with Australian law, with Australian policy, and that, of course, is taking place across the board," Albanese added.

Since the beginning of the US-Israel war on February 28, nearly 1,500 people have been killed in Iran. Tehran has retaliated, targeting US military bases in Gulf nations. The US and Israel assassinated Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, on day one of this unilateral declaration of war.