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Iranian naval ship Lavan with crew of 184 docked in Kochi same day US torpedoed IRIS Dena

March 06, 2026 7 min read International Relations Internal Security GS2 (International Relations India's Foreign Policy) GS3 (Maritime Security Internal Security)
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What Happened

  • On 4 March 2026 — the same day the US Navy submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka — a second Iranian naval ship, the IRIS Lavan, docked at the Indian Navy facility in Kochi (Cochin) with a crew of 183-184.
  • Iran had approached India on 28 February 2026 (the day Operation Epic Fury began) seeking urgent permission for the IRIS Lavan to dock at Kochi after developing technical issues while in the region following the International Fleet Review 2026.
  • India approved the request on 1 March and the ship docked on 4 March. The crew was being accommodated at Indian naval facilities in Kochi.
  • The IRIS Lavan is a Hengam-class Landing Ship Heavy (LSTH) — a logistical support vessel capable of transporting and landing heavy armour, unlike the IRIS Dena which was a frontline frigate.
  • Government sources confirmed the IRIS Lavan had participated in the MILAN 2026 multilateral naval exercise at Visakhapatnam. (Note: Some initial reports incorrectly stated it participated in the IFR; it participated in MILAN. It was independently deployed in the region following the exercise.)
  • India's decision to grant docking — and its subsequent announcement that the ship was "safely docked" — was described by official sources as a humanitarian and technical assistance measure consistent with maritime practice.

Static Topic Bridges

India's Chabahar Port and Iran Connectivity Strategy

India's engagement with Iran has a significant strategic dimension centred on Chabahar Port — a deep-water port on Iran's southeastern coast (Sistan-Baluchestan province) in the Gulf of Oman. The port is critical for India because it provides a direct sea-land connectivity corridor to Afghanistan and Central Asia, bypassing Pakistan. India signed a 10-year contract to develop and operate the Shahid Beheshti terminal at Chabahar in 2016 and has invested significantly in associated rail and road infrastructure.

  • Chabahar is outside the Strait of Hormuz, giving India a Gulf of Oman entry point to Iran and Central Asia that is not subject to Hormuz disruption.
  • The US granted India a specific sanctions waiver for Chabahar development in 2018, recognising its strategic role in Afghanistan reconstruction. However, US sanctions have complicated payments to Iranian entities, slowing project progress.
  • In May 2024, India and Iran signed a new 10-year contract for continued Chabahar development, over US objections. The US Treasury Department warned that entities helping Iran evade sanctions could face action.
  • Chabahar-Zahedan railway (being built with Indian investment) will connect the port to Iran's national rail network, unlocking overland access to Afghanistan and onwards to Central Asian markets.

Connection to this news: India's decision to shelter the IRIS Lavan in Kochi — accepting a warship from a country currently at war with the US — reflects the same pragmatic logic that drives the Chabahar engagement: India's Iran relationship serves specific strategic interests (connectivity, energy, regional balance) that are maintained even under pressure to choose sides.

Internment of Warships: Neutral States and Naval Law

A neutral state that hosts a belligerent's warship faces specific obligations under the Hague Convention XIII (1907) concerning Neutral Powers in Naval War. These rules govern how long a belligerent warship may remain in a neutral port and what conditions apply.

  • Hague Convention XIII, Article 12: A warship of a belligerent power may not remain in a neutral port or roadstead for more than 24 hours, except in cases of damage or bad weather. If it stays longer without the neutral state's permission, it must be interned.
  • Internment (Article 24): If a belligerent warship stays in a neutral port beyond the permitted period and is not interned, the neutral state must take steps to prevent the ship from being used in hostilities. The ship and its crew may be interned until the end of hostilities.
  • India's situation with the IRIS Lavan is that it permitted the ship to dock due to stated technical issues — a recognised humanitarian exception. However, the longer the ship stays during an active armed conflict involving Iran, the more India's neutrality is implicitly tested.
  • India's formal announcement through government sources that the ship is "safely docked" signals a deliberate policy choice to acknowledge the internment rather than quietly ignore it.

Connection to this news: India has effectively interned the IRIS Lavan under humanitarian cover. This is legally permissible under the Hague Convention but requires India to ensure the ship and its crew do not participate in the armed conflict for the duration of its stay — which means India has inadvertently taken on a neutrality management role with 184 Iranian sailors on its soil.

MILAN Exercise and India's Naval Diplomacy

MILAN (Meeting of International Navies) is a multilateral naval exercise hosted by India's Andaman and Nicobar Command, conducted biennially. India uses MILAN as an instrument of maritime diplomacy — building inter-operability, trust, and security partnerships with diverse navies across the Indo-Pacific, Indian Ocean littoral states, and beyond. The 2026 edition was held at Visakhapatnam and was one of the largest ever, reflecting India's aspiration to be the Indian Ocean's "net security provider."

  • MILAN participants typically include navies from Southeast Asia, South Asia, Africa, Middle East, and Oceania — a non-bloc inclusive format deliberately different from Western alliance exercises.
  • Iran's participation in MILAN 2026 demonstrates that India maintains functional naval relations with Tehran even while under US pressure to limit engagement with sanctioned entities.
  • The International Fleet Review (IFR) co-located with MILAN 2026 is a formal display of naval power — another instrument of prestige diplomacy that India uses to signal its status as a major maritime power.
  • After the IRIS Dena sinking, India's credibility as a neutral exercise host has been called into question: ships that attend India's naval exercises are not guaranteed safe passage in the broader maritime environment, undermining India's implicit promise of hospitality.

Connection to this news: The IRIS Lavan docking in Kochi creates a precedent — India has provided safe harbour to an Iranian warship during an active conflict. While this aligns with India's non-alignment tradition, it also places India in potential tension with the US, which might view Kochi as providing operational sanctuary to an adversary's naval vessel.

India-Iran Relations: Historical and Contemporary Context

India and Iran share a 2,000-year civilisational connection through Persian cultural, linguistic, and trade links (the Mughal court used Persian as its official language). Modern bilateral relations have been shaped by energy trade (Iran was India's second-largest oil supplier before US sanctions), connectivity (Chabahar), and Afghan stability interests. India and Iran signed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 1950.

  • India-Iran relations have historically been independent of the US-Iran confrontation — India engaged with Iran even at the height of US sanctions, invoking sovereign commercial interests.
  • India's imports from Iran peaked at ~23 million metric tonnes per year before the 2012 sanctions escalation, then dropped significantly. After US waivers expired in May 2019, India cut Iranian oil imports to near zero.
  • India abstained on the UNSC vote that initially imposed sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme (UNSC Resolution 1929, 2010), reflecting its non-alignment on Iran.
  • Iran's 2019 revocation of India's "Most Favoured Nation" status in Chabahar-related negotiations reflected Iranian frustration over India's compliance with US sanctions pressures.

Connection to this news: India's sheltering of the IRIS Lavan is consistent with its historical pattern of maintaining functional ties with Iran regardless of US-Iran hostility. The fact that it was done quickly (approval within 1-2 days of Iran's request), publicly (government sources confirmed it), and humanely (crew accommodated at naval facilities) signals that India is not abandoning its Iran relationship even as it navigates Quad commitments.

Key Facts & Data

  • IRIS Lavan: Hengam-class Landing Ship Heavy (LSTH); crew 183-184
  • Docking date at Kochi: 4 March 2026 (same day IRIS Dena was torpedoed)
  • Iran's request to India for docking: 28 February 2026 (day Operation Epic Fury began)
  • India approved docking: 1 March 2026
  • IRIS Lavan's recent activity: MILAN 2026 multilateral naval exercise, Visakhapatnam
  • India's Chabahar Port contract: 10-year agreement signed 2016; renewed May 2024
  • Hague Convention XIII (1907): Governs neutral state handling of belligerent warships in port
  • Internment rule: Warship staying beyond 24 hours in a neutral port must be interned
  • India-Iran Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation: 1950
  • India cut Iranian oil imports to near zero: May 2019 (US waivers expired)
  • MILAN exercise format: Biennial, hosted by India's Andaman and Nicobar Command