India granted emergency docking to Iranian naval ship in Kochi: Sources

New Delhi: Days before the US torpedoed and sank Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, India approved urgent docking for another Iranian naval vessel in Kochi after it developed a technical glitch, government sources said on Friday.

The vessel, docked in Kochi on March 4 with its 183 crew members, is being accommodated at Indian naval facilities on humanitarian grounds, they said. The ship IRIS Lavan developed urgent technical issues and was granted emergency docking approval on March 1 following a request from the Iranian side, the sources said.

India was approached by the Iranian side days before IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka.

IRIS Dena was returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack on Wednesday.

Days before the IRIS Dena incident south of Sri Lanka, India was approached by Iran to take in the Iranian ship IRIS Lavan which was also in the region for the International Fleet Review, the sources said.

This request was received on February 28 indicating that a docking at Kochi was urgent as the vessel had developed technical issues, they said.

The approval was accorded for the docking of the ship on March 1. IRIS Lavan has since docked at Kochi on March 4, the sources said.

In this context, its crew of 183 are currently accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi, they said.

India’s granting of emergency harbour to another Iranian naval vessel came to light against the backdrop of increasing spotlight on the US strike on IRIS Dena.

Iran has reacted sharply to the sinking of the ship.

“IRIS Dena was a training ship. It was invited by the Indian Navy to take part in an exercise. They went there as guests. They were unarmed,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.