Days before the sinking of IRIS Dena by a U.S. submarine, Iran had approached India to let an Iranian ship dock in Kochi, sources in the government said. Iran had requested to “take in IRIS Lavan which was in India’s territorial waters for the International Fleet Review in Vishakhapatnam”, the source said.

Israel-Iran war LIVE

IRIS Lavan has been docked at Kochi since March 4 as the vessel had developed technical issues. “Its crew of 183 are currently accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi,” the source said.

A U.S. submarine attacked an Iranian warship, which sank in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, on Wednesday (March 4, 2026), bringing the West Asian conflict closer to the Indian subcontinent. At least 83 people were killed in the torpedo attack.