1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to demand a full congressional investigation into Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recent actions involving the sinking of an Iranian military vessel in international waters. The facts surrounding this incident raise serious questions about violations of international law and the Geneva Conventions. According to former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal, the Iranian ship was departing from a biennial multinational naval training exercise hosted by India when it was torpedoed by a US submarine. Under the exercise protocol, participating vessels cannot carry ammunition, meaning the Iranian ship was defenseless at the time of attack. The US Navy had been invited to this peaceful training exercise but withdrew at the last minute, suggesting premeditation. The circumstances are deeply troubling. This attack occurred in international waters outside any combat zone against a vessel participating in a peaceful multinational exercise. US forces then failed to rescue survivors, leaving the Sri Lanka Navy to recover bodies from the water. Under the Geneva Conventions, combatants are obligated to rescue the crew of ships they sink during wartime. Abandoning survivors to drown constitutes a war crime. If the United States is at war with Iran, then Hegseth's failure to rescue survivors violates international humanitarian law. If we are not at war, then this attack constitutes murder under international law. Either scenario demands immediate congressional action. This incident has damaged our relationships with key partners. Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Modi for remaining silent after the US attacked a ship his government had invited, stating the conflict has reached India's backyard and questioning India's strategic autonomy. I urge you to call for Hegseth's immediate resignation and launch a formal investigation into potential war crimes. Congress must reassert its constitutional authority over matters of war and hold the Defense Secretary accountable for actions that violate international law and undermine American credibility worldwide.