India approved an emergency docking request from Iran for the warship IRIS Lavan at Kochi days before its sister vessel IRIS Dena was sunk in a US submarine strike off Sri Lanka, government sources told CNBC-TV18.
“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. This request was received on February 28, 2026, indicating that a docking at Kochi was urgent as the vessel had developed technical issues,” government sources said.
“Approval was accorded for the docking on March 1. IRIS LAVAN has since docked at Kochi on March 4. In this context, its crew of 183 are currently accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi,” the sources added.
The development comes amid heightened naval tensions in the Indian Ocean after IRIS Dena, a Moudge-class Iranian frigate, was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine on March 4 in international waters about 40 nautical miles south of Galle, Sri Lanka.
Also read: How US dragged the West Asia war to the Indian Ocean region
According to reports, the Iranian warship had been returning from MILAN 2026, the multinational naval exercise hosted by India in Visakhapatnam between February 18 and 25. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike, saying it targeted a “military vessel”.
The attack reportedly resulted in around 87 deaths and 32 sailors rescued by Sri Lankan forces with assistance from Indian authorities.
The incident has sparked political reactions in India as well. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi warned that the escalating confrontation signals how global conflicts are moving closer to India’s neighbourhood.
“The war has now reached India’s backyard,” Gandhi said, raising concerns about the security implications for the region.
It is pertinent to note that the two Iranian warships had earlier visited India as part of the MILAN 2026 naval exercise, one of the Indian Navy’s largest multinational maritime drills, underscoring the complex strategic dynamics playing out in the Indian Ocean.
