Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed that three Australian citizens were aboard a US nuclear-powered submarine involved in an attack on an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka. Speaking to Sky News, Albanese said that while Australia typically does not confirm such matters, the decision was made in the public interest following a meeting of the national security committee. He emphasized that no Australian personnel took part in offensive actions against Iran.

According to Albanese, the three Australians were present on the submarine as part of the AUKUS trilateral defense partnership to gain operational experience with allied forces. The Iranian warship was struck by torpedoes fired from the US submarine, resulting in the deaths of at least 87 Iranian sailors, according to the report.

The incident adds tension to ongoing regional hostilities, with reports of further attacks and damage to Iranian infrastructure in recent days.