Indian authorities have provided refuge to 183 sailors aboard the Iranian warship IRIS Lavan after the vessel requested urgent assistance amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict.
According to a Indian government official, the ship sent a distress call on February 28, the same day the U.S. and Israel launched military strikes on Iran, reports Al Jazeera.
India approved the ship’s berthing in Kochi on March 1, and it has been docked there since March 4. The government has arranged accommodation for the sailors during their stay.
The announcement comes amid criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government after an Iranian ship, IRIS Dena, which had participated in Indian-hosted naval exercises, was torpedoed by a U.S. submarine. The attack killed more than 80 sailors, rescued 32, and left hundreds missing. India has so far avoided publicly criticizing the U.S. over the incident.
Officials stressed that the Lavan docking was granted due to urgent technical issues and was unrelated to the previous attack on the Dena.