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India let iran warship dock the day US sank another off sri lanka, officials say
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 7, 2026
3 min readLast updated: March 7, 2026
Quick Summary
India permitted an Iranian warship, IRIS Lavan, to dock at Kochi on March 4, 2026, citing humanitarian grounds, after a U.S. submarine sank another Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, off Sri Lanka the same day.
India Allows Iranian Warship to Dock in Kochi as US Sinks Another Near Sri Lanka
Key Developments in Indian, Iranian, and US Naval Activity
India's Humanitarian Gesture to Iran
NEW DELHI, March 6 (Reuters) - India has allowed an Iranian warship to dock as a humanitarian gesture, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Saturday, after the U.S. sank another Iranian navy vessel off neighbouring Sri Lanka.
The Lavan docked at India's southern port of Kochi on Wednesday, the same day the U.S. submarine struck Iranian navy frigate Dena, after an urgent request from Tehran, an Indian government source told Reuters.
US-Iran Tensions Escalate
US Military Actions in the Region
U.S. President Donald Trump has said destroying the Iranian navy is one aim of the war he and Israel launched against the Islamic Republic a week ago.
Details on the Iranian Warships
The Lavan - an amphibious landing vessel, according to the U.S. Naval Institute's online news site - and two other ships "were coming in for a fleet review and then they got, in a way, caught on the wrong side of the events," Jaishankar told the annual Raisina Dialogue event.
"I think we really approached it from the point of view of humanity, of other than whatever the legal issues were," he said. "I think we did the right thing."
Casualties and Aftermath of the US Attack
Loss of Life and Immediate Impact
At least 87 people were killed in the U.S. attack on the Dena in Sri Lanka's exclusive economic zone 19 nautical miles off the coast, outside its maritime boundaries.
Indian Response to the Docking Request
Technical Issues and Crew Accommodation
India received the docking request for the Lavan on February 28, the day the Iran war started, the source said late on Friday, adding that the request "was urgent as the vessel had developed technical issues".
Its 183 crew members have been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi, said the source, who asked not to be identified citing confidentiality.
Regional Naval Exercises and Sri Lankan Involvement
The Dena was on its way back from a naval exercise organised by India, according to the drill's website and Sri Lankan officials.
Sri Lankan authorities said on Friday that they were escorting the Iranian naval ship Booshehr to a harbour on the eastern coast and moving most of its crew to a navy camp near Colombo.
(Reporting by Sivaram V; Writing by Nidhi Verma; Editing by William Mallard)
Key Takeaways
- •India’s decision to let IRIS Lavan dock at Kochi was framed as a humanitarian gesture amid rising regional tensions (indiatoday.in)
- •The IRIS Dena, returning from an exercise hosted by India, was torpedoed and sunk by a U.S. submarine off Sri Lanka on March 4, killing at least 87, rescuing 32 (apnews.com)
- •The near-simultaneous events underscore the intensifying spillover of the U.S.–Israel–Iran conflict into the Indian Ocean region, raising legal and geopolitical concerns (apnews.com)
References
Frequently Asked Questions about India let Iran warship dock the day US sank another off Sri Lanka, officials say
1Why did India allow the Iranian warship to dock?
India permitted the Iranian warship Lavan to dock at Kochi due to urgent technical issues and as a humanitarian gesture, following a request from Tehran.
2Where did the US sink an Iranian navy vessel?
The US sank the Iranian navy frigate Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka, within Sri Lanka's exclusive economic zone.
3What type of vessel is the Iranian ship Lavan?
The Lavan is an amphibious landing vessel, according to the U.S. Naval Institute.
4How many crew members were on the Lavan?
The Lavan had 183 crew members, who were accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi, India.
5What was the context for the Iranian ships being in the region?
The Iranian ships were returning from a naval exercise organized by India when the events with the US occurred.
