Iranian frigate, the IRIS Dena, that was sunk in the Indian Ocean by a US submarine torpedo, had recently participated in military exercises hosted by India in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. Calling the frigate a "guest of the Indian Navy", Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lashed out at the US, saying: "Frigate Dena, a guest of India's Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning…Mark my words: The US will come to bitterly regret (the) precedent it has set."
Indian government sources have, however, denied that claim. As per an HT report, sources have confirmed that the ship did not ask for any help after the war was declared on February 28, three days after the military exercises ended on February 25. The sources say that the ship and its crew were Indian guests only for the duration of the military exercises, i.e. from February 16 to February 25.
The incident is likely to further escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran amid an already widening conflict across the region.
The warship had recently participated in the International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam, and had also taken part in the Milan 2026 multinational naval exercise. According to reports, at least 87 people were killed in the attack.
People familiar with the matter said that the attack took place outside India's territorial waters after the ship had finished its participation in the exercises. The International Fleet Review (IFR), held in Visakhapatnam on February 18, is a ceremonial multinational naval parade. The event was inspected by President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Indian Armed Forces.
Navies from 74 countries, including the United States and Russia, attended the event.
Sri Lanka reported receiving a distress call from the sinking warship about 40 nautical miles (75km) off Galle. The distress call was sent between 6am and 7am on Wednesday. The signal was received by the Sri Lankan Navy, which immediately dispatched warships and an aircraft to begin a search and rescue operation. There were around 180 personnel onboard IRIS Dena. The Sri Lankan Navy reported rescuing 32 wounded sailors. Dead bodies have also been recovered, while scores of personnel are still reported missing.
Sri Lankan authorities said rescue operations are still continuing.
The sinking of the frigate marks a major loss for the Iranian Navy and comes at a time when the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran is rapidly intensifying. The incident occurred during the fifth day of major US-Israel military operations against Iran, in which Iran's top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.
Iran has since been launching retaliatory strikes against US military bases and other targets across the region, triggering a widening cycle of attack and counter-attack.
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
