India permitted an Iranian naval ship to dock at its ports just days before the vessel was sunk by a US submarine amid the ongoing US–Iran war, officials confirmed.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the parliament that Iran had requested permission on 28 February for three of its warships to enter Indian ports, the same day the US and Israel began joint military operations against Tehran. India approved the request on 1 March, according to a BBC report.
The ships — IRIS Dena, IRIS Bushehr, and IRIS Lavan — had recently taken part in a multinational naval drill hosted by India in Visakhapatnam from 15 to 25 February. After leaving Indian waters, they were believed to be sailing internationally when fighting escalated.
Jaishankar said that only one vessel reached India: IRIS Lavan, which docked in Kochi on 4 March. Its crew remains at Indian naval facilities.
The situation drew global attention after IRIS Dena was torpedoed by a US submarine on 4 March, sinking off Sri Lanka’s southern coast. At least 87 of the 130 sailors aboard were reported killed. The strike occurred about 20 nautical miles west of Galle, within Sri Lanka’s search-and-rescue zone, marking the first attack outside the Middle East since the US–Israel campaign began.
Iran denounced the incident, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi calling it an “atrocity at sea” and accusing Washington of launching an unprovoked attack in international waters.
Sri Lanka later confirmed it had granted refuge to IRIS Bushehr on 5 March after the ship suffered engine trouble.
The US highlighted the strike as a show of naval strength. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said it was the first time since World War II that an American submarine had sunk an enemy ship with a torpedo. Analysts noted that while unprecedented for the US since 1945, other nations including the UK and Pakistan have used torpedoes in conflicts since then.
IRIS Dena was among roughly 20 Iranian warships reportedly destroyed since US and Israeli forces began coordinated strikes, underscoring the widening scope of the conflict.
