Iran had approached India days before the US strike on the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka, seeking permission for another naval vessel, IRIS Lavan, to dock at Kochi due to technical issues, according to government sources.
The vessel was in the region for the International Fleet Review.
According to the government sources, the request was received on February 28, 2026, with Iran stating that the ship required urgent docking due to the technical problem. The Indian authorities granted approval for the docking on March 1.
IRIS Lavan later arrived and docked at Kochi on March 4.
The ship’s crew of 183 personnel are currently being accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Sri Lankan Navy rescued 30 sailors from the Iranian naval ship IRIS Dena.
The Indian Navy has joined search and rescue efforts after the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena sank near Sri Lanka.
The Indian Navy said a distress signal from IRIS Dena was received by the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Colombo in the early hours of March 4, as informed by the Sri Lankan Navy. The ship was operating within Sri Lanka’s search and rescue region at the time.
Following the alert, the Indian Navy launched immediate assistance. “A distress call from IRIS Dena was received at the MRCC Colombo in the early hours of 04 March 26, as reported by the Sri Lankan Navy. The ship was operating 20 NM West of Galle in the SAR region under Sri Lankan responsibility. On receipt of the information, the Indian Navy promptly launched its SAR efforts commencing with a long-range maritime patrol aircraft at 1000 hr on 04 March 26 to augment the search efforts led by Sri Lanka," the Navy said in a statement.
Another aircraft equipped with air-droppable life rafts was placed on standby for quick deployment. INS Tarangini, which was already operating nearby, was sent to the area and reached the search zone by 1600 hours on March 4.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
