India Allowed Iranian Warship to Dock Days Before US Torpedo Strike in Indian Ocean

New Delhi: India had granted permission for three Iranian naval ships to dock at Indian ports just days before one of them was sunk by a United States submarine in international waters off Sri Lanka, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar informed Parliament.

Jaishankar said Iran had sought permission on February 28 for three of its naval vessels — IRIS Dena, IRIS Bushehr and IRIS Lavan — to dock at Indian ports after the United States and Israel began military operations against Iran. India approved the request on March 1.

According to the government, IRIS Lavan eventually docked at Kochi on March 4, and its crew is currently being accommodated at Indian naval facilities.

The Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk on March 4 after being hit by a torpedo fired from a US submarine in international waters about 20 nautical miles west of Galle, near Sri Lanka’s southern coast. At least 87 sailors were reportedly killed in the attack.

The three Iranian vessels had earlier participated in a multinational naval exercise hosted by India at Visakhapatnam between February 15 and February 25 before leaving Indian waters.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the strike, stating that the warship was attacked in international waters without warning and describing the incident as a serious act of aggression.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka said it provided sanctuary to another Iranian vessel, IRIS Bushehr, on March 5 after it reported an engine malfunction.

The sinking of IRIS Dena marked a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, and represented the first military strike outside the Middle East since the hostilities began. US officials described the operation as part of efforts to weaken Iran’s naval capabilities.