Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that three Australian personnel were on board a United States submarine involved in the sinking of an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka.
Speaking to Sky News, Albanese acknowledged the presence of Australian personnel but stressed they were not involved in combat operations against Iran.
“We wouldn’t normally confirm such an issue [Australian presence],” Mr Albanese said.
“Given our NSC meetings and the public interest, I can confirm that there were three Australian personnel on board that vessel.”
He added: “I can confirm also, though, that no Australian personnel have participated in any offensive action against Iran.”
Reports suggest the Australians were on board as part of a training rotation linked to the AUKUS defence pact, which involves deeper military cooperation between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, including submarine capability development.
The confirmation comes amid escalating regional tensions as the conflict involving Iran expands. Israel Defense Forces have launched fresh strikes targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut after issuing evacuation warnings to residents.
Further explosions have also been reported in Israel and the United Arab Emirates, while European nations continue deploying naval and military assets across the region as the crisis intensifies.
Source: The Advertiser
