India Granted Emergency Docking To Iranian Ship IRIS Lavan Days Before US Submarine Sank IRIS Dena

India has taken in the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Lavan at Kochi after Iran requested emergency docking due to technical problems.

The ship arrived on March 4, just days before the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine south of Sri Lanka.

Government sources said Iran requested permission on February 28, and India approved the request on March 1. The landing ship’s 183 crew members are currently being accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi.

The Iranian Navy sought urgent docking after IRIS Lavan (514) developed technical issues while operating in the region.

The vessel had earlier visited India to participate in the International Fleet Review and Exercise MILAN 2026 hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.

After receiving approval, the ship docked at Kochi on March 4 and remains there. Officials said the Iranian sailors are staying at naval facilities while the vessel remains in port. An official announcement from Indian authorities is still awaited.

The docking happened shortly before another Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, was sunk in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka on March 4.

Per reports, the Moudge-class frigate was hit by torpedoes fired from the US Navy nuclear-powered submarine USS Charlotte, operating under INDOPACOM. Two Mark 48 torpedoes were reportedly fired, with the first missing its target.

Sri Lankan authorities launched rescue operations after the sinking. Reports said at least 83-87 people were killed, while 32 sailors were rescued alive.

Iran strongly condemned the attack. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said IRIS Dena was a training ship that had participated in an Indian naval exercise and described the strike as a violation of international norms.

The incident also affected other Iranian vessels in the region.

Sri Lanka’s President said three Iranian ships had requested permission on February 26 to enter Colombo between March 9 and March 13.

After the sinking:

IRIS Bushehr, a replenishment vessel, sought refuge in Sri Lanka.

208 crew members were evacuated and taken to Colombo, while the vessel is expected to berth at Trincomalee.

Sri Lankan authorities said they received a distress call at 5:08 a.m. on March 4.

Reports also said the United States asked Sri Lanka not to send the rescued Iranian sailors back to Iran.

With IRIS Dena sunk and both Bushehr and Lavan currently sheltered in foreign ports, Iran has no confirmed large surface warships operating in open seas in the region.

IRIS Lavan is a Hengam-class landing ship commissioned in the 1980s. It is designed to transport troops, vehicles and equipment during amphibious operations.

In 2022, Iran released footage showing the ship launching multiple one-way attack drones during a naval exercise.

At the time of the incident, the Indian sail training vessel INS Tarangini was operating near Sri Lanka.

The ship had visited Trincomalee from February 27 to March 2 and was among the closest Indian vessels to the location where the Iranian frigate sank. It later arrived in Colombo, where it is providing ocean-sailing training to Sri Lankan naval cadets.

Per reports, the United States has targeted more than 20 Iranian naval vessels and facilities, weakening Iran’s naval capability.

References: The Hindu, Financial Express

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