Iran approached India days before Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine, seeking docking permission for the Iranian vessel IRIS Lavan, which was in the region for the International Fleet Review
India has allowed the urgent docking of an Iranian ship in Kochi and provided accommodation to its 183 crew members, according to a report.
According to ANI, citing government sources, Iran approached India days before Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine, seeking docking permission for the Iranian vessel IRIS Lavan, which was in the region for the International Fleet Review.
The request, received on 28 February 2026, cited urgent technical issues aboard the ship.
“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,” ANI quoted government sources as saying.
“The ship’s 183 crew members are currently accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi,” they added.
Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine using a torpedo off the coast of Sri Lanka.
The vessel was returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka on Friday transferred more than 200 sailors from another Iranian naval vessel to shore after it sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s waters.
According to the Associated Press, Sri Lankan navy spokesperson Cmdr. Buddhika Sampath said 204 sailors of the IRIS Bushehr were brought to Welisara Naval Base near the capital, Colombo. They underwent border control procedures and medical tests, but none were found to have health issues.
About 15 others have been left aboard the ship with Sri Lankan naval personnel for assistance because they had reported a fault with the ship.
The Iranian sailors are interpreting operational instructions, manuals and logs for their Sri Lankan counterparts. He said the ship will be taken to the port of Trincomalee in eastern Sri Lanka, and remain in Sri Lankan custody until further notice.
The Sri Lankan government took custody of the Bushehr after the US sank an Iranian warship, the IRIS Dena, off Sri Lanka’s coast Wednesday. The strike marked one of the rare instances since World War II in which a submarine sank a surface warship, and highlighted the expanding scope of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
With inputs from agencies
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