Kochi — As international tensions surge following the sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a United States submarine, it has emerged that India has provided refuge to another Iranian naval vessel. The IRIS Lavan, a landing ship that participated in the recent International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, has been docked at the port of Kochi since March 4.
Government sources confirmed that Tehran approached New Delhi on February 28, seeking urgent docking for the IRIS Lavan after the vessel reportedly developed significant technical malfunctions. The request arrived just as hostilities between the United States and Iran intensified in the Middle East. Indian authorities granted approval for the docking on March 1, and the ship arrived in Kochi the same day its sister vessel, the IRIS Dena, was struck by a US torpedo off the southern coast of Sri Lanka.
The IRIS Dena was returning to Iran after taking part in the MILAN 2026 multilateral naval exercises hosted by India when it was targeted in international waters. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, describing the sinking as a “quiet death” and noting it as the first time a US submarine has used a torpedo to sink an enemy vessel since the Second World War. The attack resulted in the deaths of at least 87 Iranian sailors, while 32 survivors were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy.
Iranian Foreign Minister Sayed Abbas Araghchi has condemned the incident as a war crime and an “atrocity at sea,” emphasizing that the Dena was a guest of the Indian Navy and was unarmed at the time of the attack. He warned that the United States would “pay bitterly” for the precedent set by the strike.
In Kochi, the 183 crew members of the IRIS Lavan are currently being accommodated at Indian naval facilities. Indian officials have categorized the move as a humanitarian gesture based on international maritime conventions. Despite the proximity of the events, India has maintained a neutral stance, denying allegations that any US military assets are using Indian ports or that intelligence is being shared to facilitate strikes against Iranian targets.
The presence of the IRIS Lavan in Kochi and the internment of the replenishment ship IRIS Bushehr in Sri Lanka highlight the precarious position of neutral nations in the region as the conflict expands beyond the Persian Gulf. While India continues to act as a regional security provider, the recent naval engagements have sparked a debate regarding the limits of maritime safety for international guests within the Indian Ocean.
