Tehran had approached New Delhi on February 28 to urgently accommodate the IRIS Lavan citing technical issues, an Indian official said in a text message to reporters.
The request was approved on March 1 and the vessel has been docked at Kochi since Wednesday, with its 183-member crew housed at naval facilities there, the official said.
Allowing the Iranian ship to dock when it was facing challenges "was the humane thing to do" at the time, India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said yesterday.
Last week, the US sank the Iranian frigate, IRIS Dena, off Sri Lanka’s coast, as the vessel was returning after participating in an international naval exercise hosted by India.
The attack left over 100 sailors missing or presumed dead.
It has also effectively brought the Middle East conflict to India’s doorstep, putting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a difficult position as his government continues to avoid taking firm sides in the conflict.
Sri Lanka, which rescued 32 sailors from IRIS Dena, last week took control of another Iranian vessel which also faced technical issues. — Bloomburg News
