External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar informed Parliament that Iran had requested permission for three of its ships to dock at Indian ports, a request New Delhi approved shortly afterward. The Iranian side approached India on February 28, and the government granted approval the next day.
One of the vessels, IRIS Lavan, later docked at Kochi Port on March 4. The ship carried around 183 crew members, who were accommodated at Indian naval facilities.
Jaishankar described the decision as “the right thing to do,” highlighting it as a humanitarian gesture during rising tensions in the Indian Ocean region following the sinking of another Iranian warship earlier in March.
Iran’s foreign minister has thanked India for the move, which reflects ongoing diplomatic engagement between the two countries even as the wider West Asia conflict raises security concerns across regional waters.
The development underscores India’s balancing act in maintaining humanitarian cooperation and diplomatic ties while navigating the evolving geopolitical situation in the region.
