Sinking of Iranian ship brings war to region, say Sri Lankan and Maldivian leaders

The sinking of an Iranian ship by the U.S. in the Indian Ocean raises concern for the smaller countries in the region, leaders from Sri Lanka and the Maldives, who have gathered for the Raisina Dialogue here, said on Thursday (March 5, 2026). They called for closer communication on the issue with India as a “net security provider” in the region.

Indian diplomats also described the torpedo attack in the Indian Ocean, close to Sri Lanka, as concerning, especially given that the warship, the IRIS Dena, was returning on Wednesday (March 4, 2026) from multilateral exercises held with the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam last month.

The External Affairs Ministry did not respond to a question on whether India had raised the issue with the U.S. government.

“We don’t want the war spilling over into our waters. I think it’s worrying that this war is coming home for us. India is the net security provider in the region and we are confident that India will rise to the occasion,” former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed said.

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu has spoken to several leaders in West Asia, including his counterpart in the UAE, Mohammed Bin Zayed. He has criticised the U.S. and Israel for the war in the region, but has not commented on the incident in the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lankan Navy personnel rescued about 30 Iranian sailors after responding to a distress call, with estimates of more than 80 killed in the explosion, a development that many said “brought the war” to the region.

“For smaller countries, particularly Sri Lanka, that is coming out of an [economic] crisis, we haven’t still been able to build enough buffers to withstand an external shock if it prolongs for more than a couple of weeks,” Sri Lankan Opposition UNP MP Harsha Da Silva told The Hindu. “Obviously therefore we depend on India to work in partnership, particularly when it comes to maritime affairs,” he added, pointing out that Sri Lanka was the “centre of the Indian Ocean”, where India helms a number of multilateral organisations.

Indian leadership

In the past few years, India has upgraded its SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) policy to MAHASAGAR (Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions). It also hosts the annual Indian Ocean Conference, houses the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR), convenes the Colombo Security Initiative (which includes Sri Lanka, Seychelles, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Bangladesh), and takes a leading role in organisations like the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

Last month, it hosted the Navies of 75 countries, including Iran, at three major events in Visakhapatnam — the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026, Exercise MILAN 2026, and Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs.

Former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said that the Iranian ship would not have been in the Indian Ocean at this time if it had not been invited by India. As per protocol, exercise ships don’t carry ammunition.

“The attack by the U.S. submarine was premeditated as the U.S. was aware of the Iranian ship’s presence in the exercise to which the U.S. Navy was invited but withdrew from participation at the last minute, presumably with this operation in mind. The U.S. has ignored India’s sensitivities as the ship was in these waters because of India’s invitation,” he posted on social media platform X, adding that India had a “moral and human responsibility” to condole the loss of lives of its guests.

Raisina Dialogue

The conflict in West Asia overshadowed the opening day of the Raisina Dialogue on Thursday, with about 1,100 of the 1,800 international delegates cancelling their plans to attend due to airspace restrictions and flight cancellations across the region. However, guests from India’s neighbourhood were able to travel, including Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Vijitha Herath, Bhutan’s Foreign Minister, D.N. Dhungyel, and Mauritius’s Foreign Minister, Dhananjay Ramful.

In a statement announcing the Raisina Dialogue, which is organised by the External Affairs Ministry and the Observer Research Foundation, the Ministry said the theme this year, which marks the 11th edition of the event, is “Saṁskāra – Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement”.