Iranian Warship Sunk By U.s. Was Sailing Home After Taking Part In An Exhibition Hosted By India

GALLE, Sri Lanka — An Iranian warship that was sunk by a U.S. submarine adjacent Sri Lanka had participated successful naval exercises hosted by India earlier heading retired into world waters successful nan Indian Ocean connected its measurement home, New Delhi said.

The sinking underscored nan scope of nan U.S.-Israeli warfare pinch Iran and its dispersed successful nan Middle East and beyond. It besides ignited a statement successful India astir maritime information successful nan Indian Ocean — a region wherever New Delhi maintains a important naval presence.

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s navy recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 Iranian sailors from nan IRIS Dena, which sank successful world waters disconnected nan seashore of nan land federation — a uncommon lawsuit of a submarine torpedoing a vessel since World War II.

Sri Lanka’s navy said it had responded to a distress awesome from nan IRIS Dena, but by nan clip it reached nan location, location was nary motion of nan ship, conscionable patches of lipid and sailors floating successful nan water. The rescued mariners were taken to a infirmary successful nan municipality of Galle, connected Sri Lanka’s confederate coast.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said nan sinking illustrates nan U.S.-Israeli subject cognition against Iran is stretching beyond its borders and described nan IRIS Dena arsenic a “prize ship.” President Trump has said 1 of nan cardinal objectives of nan warfare is to swipe retired Iran’s navy.

A video released by nan U.S. Department of Defense connected X showed nan infinitesimal of nan torpedo attack. The Iranian vessel appears to beryllium deed by an underwater detonation that causes it to break apart, arsenic a ample plume of h2o rises up successful nan air.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused nan U.S. Navy of committing an “an atrocity astatine sea” successful sinking nan frigate and said connected societal media connected Thursday that nan United States “will travel to bitterly regret” nan attack.

Araghchi said nan IRIS Dena had been carrying “almost 130” crew.

India’s navy and defense ministry said nan Iranian warship had participated successful nan International Fleet Review and nan multilateral naval workout MILAN 2026, organized by nan Indian navy successful nan larboard of Visakhapatnam from Feb. 15 to Feb. 25. The ministry said 74 countries had joined nan events.

The Iranian warship was seen sailing astatine oversea during nan exercises successful a Feb. 17 station connected X by nan Indian navy. Another image showed respective of its unit members posing connected platform pinch nan Iranian emblem successful nan background.

Araghchi stressed that nan frigate had been “a guest” of India’s navy. The Indian authorities has not yet publically commented connected nan incident.

Another Iranian vessel enters a Sri Lankan maritime area

Sri Lanka’s media curate and authorities spokesperson, Nalinda Jayatissa, told parliament connected Thursday that different Iranian vessel has entered Sri Lanka’s exclusive economical zone, an area beyond its contiguous territorial waters wherever it has authorities complete earthy resources.

Jayatissa did not supply further specifications astir nan vessel aliases nan number of group connected board. He said nan authorities was trying to “minimize nan nonaccomplishment of lives and safeguard location peace” but did not elaborate.

Questions successful India complete nan sinking

India has agelong viewed nan Indian Ocean arsenic cardinal to its security, pinch its navy regularly conducting patrols and multinational exercises to safeguard cardinal oversea lanes utilized for world waste and acquisition and power shipments. It has besides traditionally sought to support a observant negotiated equilibrium successful tensions betwixt nan U.S. and Iran while emphasizing connected diplomacy and talks.

Indian guidance leaders, however, connected Thursday questioned nan government’s deficiency of consequence to nan incident, saying nan sinking of nan warship truthful adjacent to India’s maritime vicinity warranted an charismatic statement.

The guidance Indian National Congress statement slammed what it called “silence” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi ‘s government.

“The conflict has reached our backyard, pinch an Iranian warship sunk successful nan Indian Ocean. Yet nan Prime Minister has said nothing,” guidance leader Rahul Gandhi wrote successful a station connected X.

Kanwal Sibal, a erstwhile diplomat who served arsenic India’s overseas caput from 2002 to 2003, wrote connected X that India was “far from politically aliases militarily responsible for nan U.S. attack,” but its “responsibility is astatine a civilized and quality plane.”

“The U.S. has ignored India’s sensitivities,” Sibal said. “The vessel was successful these waters because of India’s invitation.”

Saaliq and Francis constitute for nan Associated Press. Saaliq reported from New Delhi. AP journalist Bharatha Mallawarachi successful Colombo, Sri Lanka, contributed to this report.