# Wouldn’t it make sense for an Iranian ship’s captain to negotiate a surrender to US forces in 2026? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** iran-strikes-2026\ **Created:** [March 5, 2026, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230 "2026-03-05T17:01:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/41 "2026-03-05T19:19:10Z")
Missed that, all credit to beating me to that punch. I don’t know how friendly Sri Lanka is to the US, but I doubt the US would have any compunction about punishing them for providing too much aid and comfort to an Iranian warship. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/42 "2026-03-05T19:19:55Z")
**Moderating** : Keep this thread on Ships please. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/43 "2026-03-05T20:05:22Z")
After reading the _Guardian_ report nore carefully, I think we already know what’s happening to the ship and crew. > [@](#): > > _ **Sri Lanka has evacuated 208 crew members from an Iranian navy vessel that made an emergency request to dock** _, a day after a US submarine strike sank another Iranian frigate, killing more than 80 people on board. > > Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Thursday confirmed that _ **the country’s navy would take over** _ Iranian military support ship IRIS Bushehr and allow it to dock at the north-eastern port of Trincomalee. (_ **emphasis** _ added) That’s internment. The belligerent in neutral port (persons and vessels/vehicles) is taken into the custody of the neutral. They are supposed to remain in custody for the duration of the conflict. I suppose the question remains how thoroughly Sri Lanka takes its responsibility as an interning neutral state under the 1907 Hague Convention. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/44 "2026-03-05T20:10:23Z")
What wonderful news. That’s over 200 lives spared. They may not be welcomed back to Iran without facing punishment. Who says for sure they don’t find somewhere else to live after the war? 😃 That article must of been updated. It said Sri Lanka was considering options when I linked it. I remember something about their small morgue being overwhelmed from the recovered bodies sunk ship. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/45 "2026-03-05T20:26:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > That’s over 200 lives spared. > > They may not be welcomed back to Iran without facing punishment. Here’s hoping their families don’t face punishment! Some of the crew are likely to be conscripts, which makes the situation even worse in case of regime revenge. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/46 "2026-03-05T20:35:38Z")
As a supply ship (essentially a cargo ship with grey paint), I doubt it is a high-priority target for the USN, if a target at all. But i don’t blame them for seeking a neutral port as refugee. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/47 "2026-03-05T20:38:40Z")
OTOH, it only takes one shot to kill a freighter. Not a large expenditure of US munitions or money. It’s not like the Iranian Navy has a large number of combatants. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/48 "2026-03-05T20:58:08Z")
True, but IIRC there are still 4 or 5 frigates and a couple of corvettes left in the IRIN. If i was betting man, my $$ would be on that attack sub having long left the area and on the hunt for those. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/49 "2026-03-05T21:02:21Z")
Decent bet USN or NRO reconnaissance knows where they all are. Anything not tied up to an Iran-friendly dock is on the hit list. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/50 "2026-03-05T21:20:44Z")
Did you see the video upthread about the blowing up of the frigate or whatever it was? One shot and it fucking blew the ship out of the water! Those modern torpedoes pack quite a punch! No wonder the crew got the yips! ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/51 "2026-03-05T21:25:25Z")
Do the Iranians have any countermeasures against an American sub, or could a single one basically handle their entire fleet? ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/52 "2026-03-05T21:30:04Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > Did you see the video upthread about the blowing up of the frigate or whatever it was? One shot and it fucking blew the ship out of the water! Those modern torpedoes pack quite a punch! No wonder the crew got the yips! Unlike unguided WWII-era torpedoes, they also tend to not miss. And modern submarines are essentially undetectable without intense ASW (anti-submarine warfare) efforts. The first indication most surface vessels (i.e. “targets”) have of an enemy submarine is the big explosion. > [@Babale](#): > > Do the Iranians have any countermeasures against an American sub, or could a single one basically handle their entire fleet? The latter. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/53 "2026-03-05T21:30:50Z")
The Mark 48 is quite a nasty piece of munitions, and the Iranian ship was at the lower end of what anyone would consider a warship. The US Navy ship closest in displacement to that teeny weenie frigate is the _Avenger_ class minesweeper. US frigates have been, currently are, and will be 2-5 times bigger. A Mark 48 against the _Dena_ was shotgunning a squirrel. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/54 "2026-03-05T21:38:14Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > A Mark 48 against the _Dena_ was shotgunning a squirrel. A squirrel that wasn’t expecting anything because it was just having a friendly romp. > **[Iranian warship sunk by the US was sailing home after taking part in an...](https://apnews.com/article/iran-warship-iris-dena-india-14916ad657e50f048bbeb42b38224ecb)** > > Officials in New Delhi say that an Iranian warship that was sunk by a U.S. submarine near Sri Lanka had participated in naval exercises hosted by India before heading out into international waters in the Indian Ocean on its way home. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/55 "2026-03-05T21:40:13Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > A Mark 48 against the _Dena_ was shotgunning a squirrel. It is a wonder to me that they were able to send a distress signal at all. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/56 "2026-03-05T21:43:33Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > A squirrel that wasn’t expecting anything because it was just having a friendly romp. Oh, dear! That does not look good. Both sides seem indeed to be burning everybody’s good will all around at a fast pace. Yes, it’s war and all that. But that torpedo attack does not look like it was necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/57 "2026-03-05T21:50:36Z")
Hesgeth seems to be as US-centrically ignorant as the rest of the Trump administration - his claim that this was the first ship sunk by a torpedo since WW2 may be true specifically for the US Navy, but the Royal Navy and Argentine Navy would disagree ([Sinking of ARA General Belgrano - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_ARA_General_Belgrano)). ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/58 "2026-03-05T21:51:01Z")
The torpedo hit the stern, so the bridge was intact and radio systems probably kept working by battery until the survivors had to abandon ship. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/59 "2026-03-05T21:55:05Z")
So would the Pakistani navy [PNS Hangor (S131) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PNS_Hangor_(S131)) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230/60 "2026-03-05T22:23:44Z")
The US criminal regime should not have started this stupid war. But the nature of modern war is that once it begins, the entirety of the enemy military is a legit target. Even if all (or any) of the units on their side have not yet gotten the word that there’s a war going on. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wouldn-t-it-make-sense-for-an-iranian-ship-s-captain-to-negotiate-a-surrender-to-us-forces-in-2026/1028230.md?page=4)