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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said India “did the right thing” by allowing the Iranian warship IRIS Lavan to dock at Kochi port amid the ongoing war involving the US, Israel and Iran.

The vessel arrived at the port in the southern Indian state of Kerala on March 4, the same day a US submarine torpedoed another Iranian naval ship, IRIS Dena, in the Indian Ocean near the Sri Lankan port city of Galle.

The attack killed at least 87 crew members on board the IRIS Dena.

Sri Lanka Rescued Survivors After Torpedo Attack

Following the strike, the Sri Lankan Navy rescued the survivors and brought the bodies of the deceased to its shores. Indian forces also said they responded, but by the time they acted, Sri Lankan authorities had already carried out the rescue.

The US attack on IRIS Dena took place within Sri Lanka’s exclusive economic zone, about 19 nautical miles off its coast and outside its maritime boundaries.

‘Approached It From The Point Of View Of Humanity’

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Jaishankar said India’s decision to allow the docking was guided by humanitarian considerations.

"I think we really approached it from the point of view of humanity, of other than whatever the legal issues were. I think we did the right thing,” Jaishankar said.

Iranian Ships Caught Amid Unfolding Conflict

Jaishankar noted that the Iranian vessels were in the region to participate in a fleet review before being caught in the rapidly escalating situation.

"These ships, because there were two others as well, were coming in for a fleet review, and then they got, in a way, caught on the wrong side of the events," he said at the event.

US President Donald Trump has said destroying the Iranian navy is one of the objectives of the war that the United States and Israel launched against Iran a week ago.

Sri Lanka Escorts Another Iranian Warship

Sri Lankan authorities said on Friday they were escorting another Iranian naval ship, the Booshehr, to a harbour on the country’s eastern coast. Most of its crew are being moved to a navy camp near Colombo.

The vessel was apparently the third Iranian ship referred to by Jaishankar during the Raisina Dialogue.

Timeline Of IRIS Lavan Docking At Kochi

India received the request for IRIS Lavan to dock on February 28, the day the Iran war began.

A source cited by Hindustan Times said that the request was urgent because the vessel had developed technical issues.

The approval for docking was granted the next day, on March 1.

"IRIS LAVAN has since docked at Kochi on 4 March. In this context, its crew of 183 are currently accommodated at naval facilities in Kochi," the source added.