In the early hours of March 4, 2026, in international waters off the coast of Galle, Sri Lanka, the USS Charlotte, a Los Angeles–class nuclear-powered attack submarine, closed in on the IRIS Dena, a new Iranian Moudge-class frigate.
Submerged, the Charlotte fired a heavyweight, acoustic-homing torpedo at the hull of the Dena. It missed. It fired another. It connected. The periscope footage of the attack was released by the United States Department of War. It shows the shockwave of the torpedo fracturing the Dena’s hull and sending its helicopter flight deck metres into the air.
Within seconds, what was left of the Dena was plummeting to the depths of the Indian Ocean, carrying at least sixty of its crew of 180 to their deaths.
Some moments later, an email was sent from US Indo-Pacific Command to Sri Lanka’s maritime rescue agency. Twenty miles from Galle’s coast, a ship is in distress. Sri Lanka immediately engaged a search and rescue effort that included its air force and navy. The surface of the sea contained clues that a vessel had been attacked and had likely been sunk. But it was not clear whether the attack had come from above or below. They were able to rescue thirty-two sailors, and recover the bodies of eighty-seven others, many of whom had mysteriously broken legs.
The Charlotte had long vanished like an apparition beneath the waves.
This was on the fifth day of the US–Israeli war on Iran, 2,000 nautical miles from the immediate conflict zone.
It was a legitimate target for sure. Trying to make a deal out of this ship is just stupid. You have far better cases to be made with the school’s that were hit.
The fact it’s now confirmed they informed Sri Lanka of the sinking and sailors in distress removes that aspect of a potential war crime as well.
As to the articles mentioning of mysteriously broken legs. I don’t think that’s a particularly big mystery… when the floor accelerates that quickly into you feet first. Broken legs are to be expected.
Think of it this way. The ship had been engaged in what was essentially a diplomatic mission, supposedly unarmed though I guess we’ll never know. The US was also a participant in this function. They waited until it was over and the Iranian ship was heading home, then killed them. This was certainly treacherous, and arguably perfidious. Definitely an atrocity in my book. Perhaps not technically a war crime, but too close for comfort. May the captain and crew of the American submarine meet a watery grave
It’s a cowardly strike. I’m not arguing with you there. All I’m saying is that everyone was up and about it being a warcrime. Which it wasn’t.
It is arguably a war crime, though. Not cut and dry, but certainly arguable due to the context of it having been at a mutually-attended fleet exercise - this would bestow protections, at least while at the exercise, if not after. Feels like we’ll need to slightly amend the laws of war once this is over.
absolutely not a legitimate target. Especially during an illegal war.
I understand you dislike the action that took place. I also think it was cowardly. But it simply does not change the fact that warships are legitimate targets in war.
Regardless of what the USA would like to call it or if it had congressional approval or not.
Its a warship. Of course its a legitimate target.
“Trying to make a deal out of this ship is just stupid. You have far better cases to be made with the school’s that were hit.”
2 things can be bad to varying degrees. Nuance and context are things.
For sure. I suppose I just don’t get why everyone is making a fuzz over the ship when every single country would do the same.
War is not a game.