External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday that India acted out of “humanity” rather than considering geopolitical factors in allowing an Iranian navy ship to dock at Kochi amid its war with the US and Israel. Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue, Jaishankar also said the sinking of another Iranian ship, the IRIS Dena, by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean was “unfortunate”, offering an official account of events that saw the war reach India’s backyard.
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The IRIS Lavan docked just days before a US torpedo sank the IRIS Dena on March 4, killing over 80 Iranian sailors. Around 32 personnel were later rescued by the Sri Lankan navy.
IRANIAN SHIP DOCKS IN KOCHI
Jaishankar said on the day the US and Israel began their offensive on Iran, India received a request from Iran to allow one of its ships sailing in the region to dock at one of its ports. The ship, with 183 crew members, mostly young cadets, experienced a technical issue.
He said the Iranian ship originally set out for a naval drill, but it got “caught on the wrong side of events” as tensions escalated in the region.
The ship was in the region for the International Fleet Review 2026, a maritime exercise hosted by India in mid February.
“We got a message from the Iranian side that one of the ships, which presumably was closest to our borders at that point in time, wanted to come into our port. They were reporting that they were having problems,” Jaishankar said.
The Union Minister said India approved Iran’s request on March 1. The IRIS Lavan docked in Kochi on March 4.
“On March 1, we said you can come in, and it took them a few days to sail in, and then they docked in Kochi… There were a lot of young cadets. When the ships had set out, and when they came here, the situation was totally different,” he further said.
Jaishankar underscored that India’s move was guided primarily by humanitarian considerations.
“We approached the situation from the point of view of humanity, other than whatever the legal issues were, and I think we did the right thing,” he said.
So far, India has refrained from taking any sides in the conflict, while repeatedly urging de-escalation, restraint, and dialogue. On Thursday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri offered condolences at the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi on the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
ON SINKING OF IRIS DENA
The External Affairs Minister also made a fleeting mention of the sinking of the IRIS Dena — an incident that invited criticism from the Congress over the government’s “silence”.
“One obviously had a similar situation in Sri Lanka, they took the decision which they did, and one of them unfortunately didn’t make it,” he said, suggesting that it happened in Colombo’s jurisdiction.
However, amid opposition fire, the government said it had deployed a maritime patrol aircraft and INS Tarangini for search and rescue efforts after IRIS Dena put out a distress call. The Navy said INS Ikshak was also deployed.
Jaishankar also clarified on the geopolitical realities of the Indian Ocean region, referring to “social media debates” over the issue.
“Please understand the reality of the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia has been in the Indian Ocean for the last five decades…The fact that there are foreign forces based in Djibouti happened in the early first decade of this century,” he said.
– Ends
Published By:
Abhishek De
Published On:
Mar 7, 2026 13:24 IST
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