New Delhi.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India had given permission to Iranian naval ship ‘Iris Lavan’ to dock in Kochi on humanitarian grounds. He said that Iran had sought help from India after the ship faced technical problems, after which this decision was taken.
Help was sought after technical problem
Actually, another Iranian ship ‘Iris Dena’ had sunk in international waters. Meanwhile, ‘Iris Lavan’ informed about technical problems and asked for permission to come to the Indian port. The Foreign Minister said that this request came around 28 February and India allowed the ship to enter Kochi Port on 1 March. The ship reached there after a few days’ journey. The 183 crew members on board the ship are currently staying at naval facilities in Kochi. Jaishankar said many of the people on board were young cadets and when the ship sought help, India looked at it from a humanitarian perspective. According to him, providing assistance to a ship in trouble was the right step and India did the same.
The ship had come to participate in the fleet review
These ships of the Iranian Navy had come to participate in the International Fleet Review and Exercise MILAN 2026 organized in India. The event was held between 15 February and 25 February. Jaishankar said that the regional situation was different at that time, but later the circumstances suddenly changed and the ship got into trouble.
Also spoke on the situation in the Indian Ocean
The Foreign Minister said that many countries already have military presence in the Indian Ocean region. Citing examples, he said foreign military bases in places like Diego Garcia and Djibouti have existed for decades, while projects like the Hambantota port have also come up over the years. Jaishankar said India has been continuously investing in the region for the last decade to strengthen trade, connectivity and maritime cooperation.
Concern over the safety of Indian sailors
The External Affairs Minister also said that a large number of Indians work on many merchant ships around the world. In such a situation, whenever there are attacks on sea vessels, the safety of Indian citizens can also be affected. He said that more than 90 lakh Indians live in the Gulf countries and their security is also an important part of India’s foreign policy.
