“An American submarine sunk an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters,” U.S. Sec’y of Defense Hegseth stated at a news briefing, adding, “Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo.” [FN1] That’s not the full story. In a post on X, Kanwal Sibal, 1/8

India’s foreign secretary from 2002 to 2003, wrote that the attack was “carried out during a training exercise organized by the government of India and that the US Navy had been invited [to] but with drew just hours before the attack.” [FN2] He notes further that, 2/8

consistent with protocol for the exercises, “ships cannot carry any ammunition. [The Iranian ship] was defenceless.” The U.S. Navy “was aware of the Iranian ship’s presence in the exercise” & withdrew “at the last minute, presumably with this operation in mind.” [FN3] 3/8

“Military law experts said the Iranian ship, which was in the Indian Ocean in international waters off Sri Lanka, would have been a lawful target had the U.S. declared war.” [FN4] We have not declared war on Iran, consistent with the Constitution. [FN5] 4/8

To repeat: Navy personnel knew Iran’s ship was a guest of India, in Indian waters, taking part in exercises for which SHIPS CANNOT CARRY ANY AMMUNITION. The U.S. withdrew from the exercises at the last minute. WE KNEW THEY WERE UNARMED. 5/8

At this point, U.S. military personnel are being asked to carry out orders that are illegal. This no longer is an exercise in hypotheticals. The Whole World is watching, except the U.S. media are now owned by trump sycophants who tells us the news trump thinks we should hear. 6/8

Footnotes:
FN1. Krishan Francis and Bharatha Mallawarachi, “Sri Lanka recovers 87 bodies from Iranian warship sunk off its coast by a US submarine,” AP, 3/4/26, accessed 3/6/26.
FN2. Reposted under “This is bad news: Iranian warship torpedoed and sunk,” Daily kos, 3/5/26, accessed 3/6/26. 7/8

FN3. Id.; see also, Callum Sutherland, “Iran Warns U.S. Will ‘Bitterly Regret’ Sinking Iranian Warship,” TIME, 3/5/26, accessed 3/6/26.
FN4. Chris Boccia and Luis Martinez, “US sinking of Iranian ship raises questions of legality,” ABC News, 3/6/26.
FN5. U.S. Const. Art I, sec 8. 8/8