Legal experts have stated that the US submarine attack on an Iranian warship did not violate international law, though questions remain about rescue efforts. The torpedo strike on the IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean killed 87 people and left 32 survivors.
Marko Milanovic, professor of international law at the University of Reading, said the Dena was a clear military target and that targeting a military vessel is not a war crime. Rachel VanLandingham, a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel, noted that the ship's location far from the war zone did not affect the legality of the strike.
However, experts raised concerns about post-attack rescue obligations. Brian Finucane, former State Department legal adviser, said international humanitarian law requires the US to take all possible measures to aid the wounded. A US official confirmed that Sri Lankan authorities were contacted for search and rescue efforts.
Sri Lanka's navy responded to a distress signal but found only oil patches and life rafts upon arrival. Eugene Fidell of Yale Law School said it may be premature to judge the rescue efforts without more detailed information.
