Days before ‘IRIS Dena’ was sunk by US, India provides safe harbor to another Iranian ship

New Delhi: Days before the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena was sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka in a US attack, India has allowed another Iranian ship to dock in Kochi after Tehran sought emergency assistance over technical issues, government sources said. Sources said Iran reported technical issues while operating in the area and contacted India on February 28 to request permission for the IRIS Lavan vessel to enter the Cochin port.Sources said the ship was part of a task force traveling to the region to participate in an international fleet review.

emergency docking request

Government sources said Iran’s request said the ship needed an emergency docking in Kochi to resolve technical issues.Indian authorities approved the docking on March 1.According to sources, the ship then arrived and docked in Kochi on March 4

Sailors live in naval facilities

Meanwhile, the ship’s 183 crew members are being accommodated at an Indian naval facility in Kochi, sources said.Government sources said, “Days before the IRIS Dena incident in southern Sri Lanka, Iran approached India to take delivery of the Iranian ship IRIS Lavan, which was also in the region for an international fleet review.”“The request was received on February 28, 2026, indicating the urgency of docking in Kochi due to technical issues experienced by the ship. The docking was approved on March 1. IRIS Lavan thereafter docked in Kochi on March 4. In this case, its 183 crew members are currently residing at the naval facility in Kochi,” the source added.Wednesday’s sinking of the IRIS Dena comes as the war sparked by a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran continues to spread across the Middle East and beyond. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the attack and warned Washington it would “deeply regret” setting such a precedent. ” The United States has committed atrocities at sea 2,000 miles off the coast of Iran. The Indian Navy’s frigate Dena with nearly 130 sailors on board was attacked in international waters without any warning,” he posted on X. Araghchi added: “Mark my words: The United States will deeply regret the precedent it has set.”Sri Lanka evacuated 208 crew members from an Iranian navy ship on Thursday, a day after a US submarine sank an Iranian frigate.