Although the Iranians say the ill-fated IRIS Dena was a ‘guest of the Indian Navy’, authoritative sources confirmed to HT that the ship did not ask for any help after war was declared on 28 February.
IRIS Dena participated in the International Fleet Review (IFR) at Vizag from 16 February to 25 February, the US-Israeli attack on Iran came on 28 February.
This means that the ship was outside Indian territory and in international waters after it departed on Friday, February 25.
According to sources, the ship and its crew were Indian guests only from February 16 to February 25. Besides, the ship did not seek any help from India thereafter.
The IRIS Dena was struck in international waters by the Virginia-class SSN on Wednesday 4 March. The sinking, which Sri Lankan authorities say left at least 87 sailors dead, while 32 survivors were rescued and taken to a hospital in Galle.
As rescue operations continue for dozens still missing, the incident has intensified hostilities across the Middle East, with Iran launching new attacks on Israeli and US bases while Israel says it has launched a “large-scale” wave of attacks targeting Tehran.
(This story first appeared in Hindustan Times.)
