'Reflects friendly ties': Iran thanks India for letting IRIS Lavan dock in Kochi

NEW DELHI: Iran on Saturday expressed gratitude to India for providing a safe harbour to its naval vessel IRIS Lavan, which docked at Kochi port for technical and logistical arrangements following an incident involving another Iranian vessel, IRIS Dena, in the Indian Ocean amid the Islamic Republic's rapidly escalating conflict with the United States and Israel.Also Read | Before Dena, India let another Iran ship with 183 crew dock in Kochi In the early hours of Wednesday, a US Navy submarine fired a torpedo at IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka, sinking the frigate. Of the estimated 180 crew members, around 87 are reported dead, while about 32 survivors were rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy. "Following the tragic incident involving IRIS Dena, the Islamic Republic of Iran is continuing to follow up on the situation of the crew members and to examine the different aspects of this incident," Iranian ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, told news agency ANI.

He added, "In this context, another Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Lavan, has docked at the port of Kochi to carry out technical and logistical arrangements. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Government of India and the local authorities for their cooperation and humanitarian approach in facilitating the docking of this vessel and supporting its crew."Also Read | 'Will bitterly regret': Iran warns US after IRIS Dena, 'Indian Navy’s guest', sunk by torpedo Highlighting the coordination between the two countries, the envoy noted that the assistance provided by Indian authorities during the situation reflects the longstanding friendly relations between them.

He further voiced confidence that the historic and constructive ties between Tehran and New Delhi would continue to strengthen in the future. According to government officials, IRIS Lavan had participated in the International Fleet Review 2026 and was present in the region as part of the Iranian naval deployment for the multinational naval exercise MILAN 2026, held between February 15 and 25 in Visakhapatnam.Also Read | 'Wanted to come into our port': EAM Jaishankar on India's rescue of Iranian shipsThey added that New Delhi had been approached by Tehran days before the sinking of IRIS Dena, requesting urgent docking support due to technical issues.

The request, received on February 28, indicated that Kochi was necessary as the ship faced mechanical problems. Approval came on March 1, and IRIS Lavan subsequently docked on Wednesday. Its crew members, reportedly totalling 183 personnel, are currently staying at naval facilities in the Keralam city. The developments come amid escalating tensions in West Asia following a joint US-Israel military strike on February 28 that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other senior figures. In response, Tehran launched waves of drone and missile attacks across multiple Arab countries, targeting American military bases and assets, and Israel.