India allows Iranian warships to dock.

(CLO) India has allowed an Iranian warship to dock in Kochi on humanitarian grounds, following the US sinking an Iranian naval vessel near Sri Lanka.

Speaking at the annual Raisina Dialogue on March 7, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that the Lavan – an Iranian amphibious landing ship – along with two other vessels, were en route to participate in a fleet parade when they became embroiled in the regional tensions.

"We are approaching this issue from a humanitarian, not a legal, perspective," said Jaishankar, while asserting that the decision to allow the Iranian ship to dock was the right thing to do.

Iranian naval vessel IRIS Lavan. Photo: Iranian military.

The Lavan docked at Kochi port in southern India on March 4th, the same day a US submarine attacked the Iranian Navy destroyer Dena.

The US attack on the destroyer Dena occurred within Sri Lanka's exclusive economic zone, 19 nautical miles off the coast and outside its territorial waters. At least 87 people were killed in the attack.

According to Indian government sources, India received a request for the Lavan to dock on February 28th, the same day the conflict with Iran began. The request was made under "extremely urgent" circumstances due to a technical problem with the ship. A total of 183 sailors on board have been accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi.

According to the exercise website and Sri Lankan officials, the Dena was returning from a naval exercise organized by India when it was attacked.

Sri Lankan officials said on March 6 that the country was also escorting the Iranian naval vessel Booshehr to a port on the east coast, and moving most of its crew to a naval camp near the capital Colombo.

Source: https://congluan.vn/an-do-cho-phep-tau-chien-iran-cap-cang-10332648.html