Overview
- IRIS Lavan was cleared on March 1 to enter Kochi and docked on March 4, with its 183 crew now housed at Indian naval facilities during technical checks.
- S. Jaishankar said the Iranian vessels had come for India’s fleet events but were “caught on the wrong side of events,” framing India’s action as the humane choice.
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed a U.S. submarine torpedoed IRIS Dena on March 4 about 40 nautical miles off Sri Lanka; officials recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 sailors.
- Sri Lanka led search-and-rescue operations and sheltered the Iranian ship IRIS Bushehr at Trincomalee, while India deployed aircraft and ships to support the search.
- Government sources denied sharing intelligence on IRIS Dena with the U.S., and Iran’s ambassador thanked India for facilitating Lavan’s docking and supporting its crew.