NEW DELHI/KOCHI : On the day Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was hit by a torpedo fired from a US submarine, an Iranian warship IRIS Lavan had docked at the Kochi Naval Base, sources have confirmed.
IRIS Lavan had not participated in the International Fleet Review held at Visakhapatnam from February 15 to 25, the sources said. The vessel sought permission to dock at the Kochi base on February 28 after reportedly developing an engine-related technical snag. India granted permission to dock on March 1.
The vessel reached Kochi on March 4, the same day IRIS Dena was struck by the US submarine. There were 183 crew members on board, who have been accommodated at the Naval facilities in Kochi.
Confirming that India was approached by Iran, the Centre said, “This request was received on 28 February 2026, indicating that a docking at Kochi was urgent as the vessel had developed technical issues,” it said.
The development comes amid tensions in the Indian Ocean region following the escalation in the conflict involving Iran and the US-Israel, which has already drawn closer regional attention after maritime incidents near Sri Lanka.