S. Jaishankar defends Iran ship asylum decision, stands by govt's stance

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): During the Raisina Dialogue 2026 held in New Delhi, Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar defended India's decision to allow an Iranian naval vessel to dock at Kochi port amid rising tensions in the Middle East. He said the decision was taken not for any political or strategic reason, but purely on humanitarian grounds.

The Foreign Minister explained that India had received a message from Iran that one of its ships, which was then very close to the Indian border, wished to enter a safe port due to technical problems. Responding to this request, India allowed the ship to dock in Kochi on March 1st. However, the ship took several days to arrive.

According to Jaishankar, the ship was carrying several young cadets, and their mission was part of a pre-planned naval exercise. He added that the situation was normal when the ships departed, but the rapidly changing situation in the region later put them in the midst of heightened geopolitical tensions.

This statement comes at a time when an Iranian warship was attacked in international waters off the southern coast of Sri Lanka on March 4. Reports indicate that the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena sank after being hit by a torpedo fired from a US submarine. The incident has further escalated tensions in the Indian Ocean region. According to Sri Lankan officials, 87 bodies were recovered after the ship sank, while 32 sailors were rescued alive and taken to Galle for treatment. Jaishankar stated that India adopted a humanitarian approach to the issue, given the circumstances. He said, "We rose above legal complexities and made a decision based on humanity, and I believe we took the right step."

It is noteworthy that three Iranian naval ships—Iris Dena, Iris Lavan and Iris Bushehr—have been active in the Indian Ocean region in recent months and also participated in the international fleet review held in Visakhapatnam in February and the Milan 2026 naval exercise.