BY PC Bureau
March 5, 2026: Iran has strongly condemned the United States after its warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, with Tehran stressing that the vessel had recently been a “guest of the Indian Navy.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi alleged that the frigate, carrying nearly 130 sailors, was struck without warning while sailing in international waters.
“Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning,” Araghchi wrote on X. “Mark my words: the US will come to bitterly regret the precedent it has set.”
The Iranian vessel had taken part in the Milan 2026 Naval Exercise and the International Fleet Review 2026 Visakhapatnam hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam. Tehran’s reference to the ship as a “guest of India” appeared aimed at highlighting its recent participation in these naval engagements.
According to reports, the warship was torpedoed by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean, resulting in heavy casualties. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike marked the first sinking of a ship by a US torpedo in the Indian Ocean since World War II.
People familiar with the matter, however, said the ship was attacked outside India’s territorial waters after it had completed its participation in the naval events.
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The U.S. has perpetrated an atrocity at sea, 2,000 miles away from Iran’s shores.
Frigate Dena, a guest of India’s Navy carrying almost 130 sailors, was struck in international waters without warning.
Mark my words: The U.S. will come to bitterly regret precedent it has set. pic.twitter.com/cxYiI9BLUk
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 5, 2026
While India has not issued an official statement yet, government sources indicated that the Iranian vessel and its crew were considered guests only during the naval exercises, which concluded on February 25.
The sources also said the ship did not seek any assistance from India after the US-Iran conflict escalated.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (India) rejected claims circulating online that the United States Navy had used Indian ports to launch attacks against Iran, calling such allegations “fake and false.”
The clarification followed remarks by retired US Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor, who had claimed that the US military was relying on Indian ports after its bases in the Middle East were targeted in Iranian strikes.
The sinking of IRIS Dena comes amid rapidly escalating hostilities between Washington and Tehran, which have spread across the Middle East following the recent US-Israel offensive against Iran.
Amid the widening crisis, India has called for restraint and emphasised the need for dialogue and diplomacy while keeping a close watch on the safety of millions of Indian nationals living in West Asia.
