New Delhi witnessed a candid revelation from External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar on Saturday, as he addressed the decision to permit an Iranian naval vessel to dock at Kochi amid escalating tensions in West Asia. Speaking at the concluding day of the 11th edition of Raisina Dialogue 2026, Jaishankar emphasized that India’s choice was rooted purely in humanitarian considerations.
The minister detailed how Iran approached India with a request for their naval ship, IRIS Lavan, which had encountered technical difficulties while operating in the region. This vessel had recently participated in the International Fleet Review held last month. Following the malfunction, it headed towards Kochi for assistance.
According to government sources, Iran had reached out to India several days prior to an incident involving another Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, south of Sri Lanka. IRIS Lavan was part of Iran’s naval deployment for the International Fleet Review and the MILAN 2026 exercise, conducted from February 15 to 25.
Upon receiving reports of the technical snag from the Iranian side, India approved the docking request on March 1. The ship subsequently arrived at Kochi, where its 183 crew members are currently stationed at a naval facility in the city.
Jaishankar recounted the sequence of events: ‘We received a message from the Iranian side that a ship, which was probably closest to our border at that time, wanted to come to our port. They were telling us they were having problems. This was on February 28. On March 1, we said you can come, it took them a few days to come, and then they came to Kochi. There were a lot of young cadets. They are stationed at a nearby place.’
He underscored the humanitarian angle, noting, ‘I think it was a humanitarian thing to do.’ The ship had originally arrived in the region for naval engagements before the regional situation deteriorated.
Three Iranian vessels—IRIS Dena, IRIS Lavan, and IRIS Bushehr—had taken part in the International Fleet Review and MILAN 2026 exercise hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam earlier in February.
Contrasting this, Jaishankar referenced the fate of IRIS Dena, which was struck by a torpedo from a US submarine on March 4 while traveling in international waters about 40 nautical miles south of Galle, Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan authorities recovered 87 bodies from the sea after the sinking, rescuing 32 sailors. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed the incident.
On the IRIS Dena case, Jaishankar said, ‘In the case of the other ship, there was a similar situation near Sri Lanka, and they took the decision they took, and one unfortunately couldn’t. We looked at it from a humanitarian perspective, setting aside legal issues. I think we did the right thing.’
Addressing the buzz on social media about Indian Ocean Region dynamics, Jaishankar urged a grounded understanding: ‘There’s a lot of debate on social media. Social media, by its nature, is a forum for very sharp, angry, sometimes overly opinionated views. People are entitled to say that, but please understand the reality of the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia has been in the Indian Ocean for the last five decades. This is not something from last week or last month. Foreign militaries in Djibouti happened in the first decade of this century.’
India’s stance highlights a commitment to human lives even in turbulent times, setting it apart in a complex geopolitical landscape.