Days before the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Dena was sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka in a US strike, India had allowed another Iranian ship to dock at Kochi after Tehran sought urgent assistance due to technical problems, government sources said.

According to the sources, Iran approached India on February 28 requesting permission for the vessel IRIS Lavan to enter Kochi port after reporting technical issues while operating in the region.

The ship was part of the contingent that had travelled to the region for the International Fleet Review, the sources said.

Emergency docking request

Government sources said the Iranian request stated that the vessel required urgent docking at Kochi to address technical issues.

Approval for the docking was granted by Indian authorities on March 1.
The vessel subsequently arrived and docked at Kochi on March 4, according to the sources.

Crew accommodated at naval facilities

In the meantime, the ship’s 183 crew members are being accommodated at Indian naval facilities in Kochi, sources said.

“Days before the IRIS Dena incident south of Sri Lanka, India was approached by Iran to take in the Iranian Ship IRIS Lavan, which was also in the region for the International Fleet Review,” government sources said.

“This request was received on 28 February 2026, indicating that a docking at Kochi was urgent as the vessel had developed technical issues. Approval was accorded for the docking on 1 March. IRIS Lavan has since docked at Kochi on 4 March. In this context, its crew of 183 are currently accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi,” the sources added.

The sinking of IRIS Dena on Wednesday came as the war sparked by a joint US-Israel attack on Iran continued to spread across the Middle East and beyond.

Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the attack and warned Washington it would "bitterly regret" establishing such a precedent."

The US has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores.

Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning," he posted on X.

"Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set," Araghchi added.

Sri Lanka evacuated 208 crew members of an Iranian Navy vessel on Thursday, a day after a US submarine struck and sank the Iranian frigate.

Source: Times of India 

--Agencies