Iranian Warship Welcomed by India Torpedoed Weeks Later; 87 Dead
On February 17, the Indian Navy posted a cheerful message. “Welcome!” it wrote on X, greeting an Iranian warship. The Iris Dena sailed into Visakhapatnam port for an international naval gathering. Photographs showed sailors in crisp white uniforms. A grey frigate glided in the sea harbor on a clear day. Hashtags celebrated “Bridges of Friendship” and “United Through Oceans.”
Two Weeks Later, Tragedy
Two weeks later, the ship lay at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. It carried 130 sailors when disaster struck. A US submarine torpedoed the vessel off Sri Lanka’s southern coast on March 4.The Dena was a relatively new Moudge-class frigate. Commissioned in 2021, it served Iran’s Southern Fleet. It normally patrolled the Strait of Hormuz and Gulf of Oman.
Deadly Toll
Rescue teams from Sri Lanka recovered at least 87 bodies. Only 32 sailors survived the attack. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the vessel “thought it was safe in international waters” but instead “died a quiet death.”
Widening Conflict
This Iranian warship torpedoed Indian Ocean incident marks a dramatic escalation. The war between America, Israel, and Iran has now spread far beyond the Middle East. Although it occurred in international waters outside India’s jurisdiction, it creates an awkward moment for Delhi. The ship had just visited India in friendship. Now it rests at the bottom of the sea.
