India Helping Iran In War Against Israel? Hosts Iranian Ship In Kochi Amid Middle East Conflict

New Delhi: The war between Iran and the United States continues. The US recently sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, which was returning from India, in the Indian Ocean using a submarine attack, raising numerous questions. Indian government sources have now revealed that prior to this incident, India had assisted an Iranian ship. Recently, while another Iranian ship, IRIS LAVAN, was visiting India for maritime exercises, it encountered a technical problem. Following this, India granted it asylum and allowed it to dock. The ship's 183-member crew is currently staying at naval facilities in Kochi.

How did India help Iran?

According to government sources, a few days before the IRIS Dena incident south of Sri Lanka, Iran had contacted India to provide asylum to the Iranian ship IRIS LAVAN, which was also in the area for the International Fleet Review. This request was received on February 28, 2026, indicating that docking in Kochi was necessary because the ship had encountered technical problems. Approval for docking was subsequently granted on March 1. The IRIS LAVAN has since docked in Kochi on March 4. Its 183 crew members are currently staying at naval facilities in Kochi. The Iranian vessel, IRIS LAVAN, was docked in Kochi after India accepted Iran's request.

Why did Iranian warship IRIS Dena visit India?

The Iranian warship IRIS Dena had arrived to participate in an international naval exercise hosted by India. When it departed recently, it was attacked by a US submarine. A large number of Iranian crew members were on board. Immediately after the attack, the IRIS Dena began sinking, resulting in the loss of several lives. The Indian and Sri Lankan navies provided assistance to the ship.

At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack. Iran reacted strongly to the ship's sinking. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, "The IRIS Dena was a training ship. It was invited by the Indian Navy to participate in an exercise. They were there as guests. They were unarmed." He added, "Attacking such a ship is a war crime." Hours after the attack, the Pentagon released a short video of the frigate's sinking.

What did the US say?

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a Pentagon media briefing on Wednesday that this was the first time since World War II that an enemy warship was sunk with a torpedo. The IRIS Dena participated as part of the Indian Navy's premier multilateral maritime exercise, Milan. 42 warships and submarines participated in this major exercise held last month, which also included ships from 18 friendly countries.