Survivors of the Iranian naval ship, IRIS Dena, which was sunk by a US attack near Sri Lanka in March, have been repatriated to Iran from Sri Lanka. A total of 32 survivors, along with over 200 personnel from IRIS Bushehr, another Iranian naval vessel, left Sri Lanka on a special flight. The Sri Lankan Navy had rescued 32 survivors and recovered 87 bodies during the incident.
IRIS Bushehr, seeking entry into Sri Lankan waters, had its personnel evacuated to Colombo Port by the Sri Lankan Navy on March 6. In a separate incident, IRIS Lavan, another Iranian warship, docked in Kochi, India, due to technical issues. The vessel had requested India’s assistance for necessary checks and support after detecting a fault while operating in the region.
India granted permission for IRIS Lavan to dock at Kochi on March 1, following Iran’s request. The crew of IRIS Lavan, which had arrived for the International Fleet Review, expressed gratitude to India for the assistance. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar acknowledged Iran’s appreciation for India’s support during the incident.
