India has allowed an Iranian warship to dock at the southern port of Kochi after Tehran requested assistance, with the vessel’s 183-member crew accommodated at naval facilities, government officials said on Friday. The development comes two days after an Iranian frigate was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine near the coast of Sri Lanka.
IRIS Lavan, an amphibious warfare vessel, was in the region to participate in an International Fleet Review hosted by India last month. It docked at Kochi on Wednesday, the same day the frigate IRIS Dena was sunk about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s coast, killing 87 sailors and sharply escalating the US-Iran conflict.
Another Iranian Warship Shelters In Sri Lanka
On Thursday, Sri Lankan authorities allowed another Iranian warship, IRIS Booshehr, to take shelter in the country and accommodated its 208-member crew at a naval camp. IRIS Booshehr had also participated in India’s International Fleet Review and sought permission to enter a Sri Lankan port after experiencing engine problems.
Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his country had a “humanitarian responsibility” to take in the crew of IRIS Booshehr, which will be moved to Trincomalee harbour on the eastern coast.
“We have to understand this is not an ordinary situation. It’s a request by a ship belonging to one party to enter into our port. We have to consider that according to international treaties and conventions,” he told reporters.
Docking Approved After Iranian Request
“India was approached by Iran to take in IRIS Lavan, which was in the region for the International Fleet Review, on February 28,” said an official who declined to be identified.
“Approval was accorded for the docking on March 1, and IRIS Lavan docked at Kochi on March 4,” the official added.
The request from the Iranian side indicated that docking at Kochi was “urgent” as IRIS Lavan had developed “technical issues”, officials said. The warship’s 183 crew members have been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi.
Rising Concerns Over Widening Conflict
The sinking of IRIS Dena has raised concerns in India, Sri Lanka and other Indian Ocean states about the widening scope of the Iran-US conflict and its potential impact on seaborne commerce in regional waters.
People familiar with the matter described the Indian government’s handling of the crisis involving Iran, with which India has civilisational ties, and the US, a key strategic partner, as “pragmatic and realistic” and aligned with long-term national interests.
India Balances Strategic Interests
The Indian side has had to strike a careful balance, particularly amid growing criticism from opposition parties and former diplomats and military leaders over New Delhi’s silence following the sinking of the Iranian frigate in India’s strategic backyard.
In this context, officials pointed to the one-month waiver granted by the US administration allowing India to continue purchases of Russian oil as part of efforts to safeguard the country’s energy security. The move comes against the backdrop of concerns about disruptions caused by Iran effectively shutting the Strait of Hormuz, through which almost 50% of India’s oil imports are transported.
Previous US Waivers On Iranian Oil
Officials also noted that earlier US administrations had granted waivers from sanctions so that India could continue buying oil from Iran.
This included a determination by former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in 2012 and another by former secretary of state John Kerry in 2013. Both decisions stated that the waivers were granted after India “significantly reduced” its crude oil purchases from Iran.
