The Iranian warship that was sunk by a US submarine near Sri Lanka was taking part in a naval exercise hosted by India, New Delhi said. It was attacked after entering international waters in the Indian Ocean while returning to Iran, New Delhi said.
The sinking of the warship is a clear indication that the scope of the US-Israeli war with Iran is spreading far beyond the Middle East. The incident has also sparked widespread discussion and debate in India, especially where New Delhi has a strong naval presence in the Indian Ocean.
The Sri Lankan Navy has recovered 87 bodies from the Iranian warship ‘IRIS Dina’ that sank in international waters on Wednesday. In addition, 32 Iranian sailors have been rescued alive from the ship. It is a rare incident since World War II when a warship is sunk by torpedoes fired from a submarine.
The Sri Lankan Navy said that they received a distress signal from the Iranian warship. However, when they reached the spot, there was no sign of the ship. They only saw oil slicks and floating sailors in the sea water. The rescued sailors were admitted to a hospital in the city of Galle on Sri Lanka’s southern coast.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the sinking showed that their military campaign against Iran was now expanding beyond the country’s borders. He described the IRIS Dina as a “precious prey.” US President Donald Trump said that the total destruction of Iran’s navy was one of the main goals of the war.
The US Department of Defense has released a video on social media. It shows the moment of the torpedo attack on the Iranian ship. The video shows a powerful explosion underwater. This breaks the ship. At this time, a large amount of water and a plume of smoke can be seen.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the US Navy’s action “an atrocity at sea.” He strongly condemned it and said on social media on Thursday that the US would soon “regret” the attack. He said that about 130 Iranian sailors were on board the ship.
The Indian Navy and the Ministry of Defense said that the attacked Iranian warship was participating in the ‘International Fleet Review’ and multinational naval exercise ‘MILAN 2026’ held at the Indian port of Visakhapatnam from February 15 to 25. The Ministry of Defense confirmed that 74 countries participated in the event organized by the Indian Navy.
On February 17, the Indian Navy posted a photo on Twitter of an Iranian warship floating in the sea during a drill. Another photo showed several sailors on the deck of the ship preparing to pose for a photo with the Iranian national flag behind them.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the warship was in the country as a “guest” of the Indian Navy. However, the Indian government has not yet made any public comment on the attack on the ship.
Various questions in India about the shipwreck
New Delhi has long considered the Indian Ocean to be crucial to its security. The Indian Navy conducts regular patrols and multinational exercises to ensure the security of key sea lanes for global trade and energy supplies. India has also historically tried to maintain a cautious diplomatic balance in the face of tensions between the United States and Iran.
Indian opposition leaders have questioned the government’s silence on the incident, saying it was necessary for the government to issue an official statement in the wake of the sinking of a warship so close to India’s territorial waters.
India’s main opposition party, the Indian National Congress, has strongly criticized the “silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in the incident. They have called the matter a failure of the government and have demanded a clear statement from the government.
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi wrote in a post on Twitter, “The conflict has reached our doorstep with the sinking of an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean. Yet the Prime Minister is not saying anything about it.”
Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal wrote in X that India is not responsible for the US attack in any way, politically or militarily. He also said that the US has ignored issues that are sensitive to India. The ship was in these waters at the invitation of India.
