Iranian warship sinks in Indian Ocean after U.S. attack

Torpedo attack in Indian Ocean kills scores as New Delhi remains silent on Iranian vessel’s participation in MILAN 2026 drills

By Abdullahi Yusuf

An Iranian naval vessel that had recently participated in a multinational naval exercise hosted by India sank in the Indian Ocean after a United States submarine attack, leaving scores dead and more than a hundred sailors missing in an incident that has raised questions about New Delhi’s silence.

The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena went down early Wednesday about 44 nautical miles off the southern Sri Lankan port city of Galle after being struck by a torpedo fired from a U.S. submarine, according to statements by Pete Hegseth.

Sri Lanka’s navy said it received a distress signal from the vessel between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m. local time and launched a search-and-rescue operation with support from the country’s air force. Authorities said 32 survivors were pulled from the sea and taken to a hospital in Galle, while several bodies were recovered.

At least 87 sailors have died and more than 150 remain missing.

The sinking came only days after the warship had taken part in MILAN 2026, a major naval exercise organized by the Indian Navy that brings together warships from dozens of countries for maritime cooperation and joint drills in the Bay of Bengal.

During the exercise, Indian officials highlighted expanding maritime engagement with Iran, with naval leaders describing the participation of Iranian vessels as part of a growing chapter in bilateral maritime cooperation.

The attack occurred shortly after the Iranian vessel departed Indian waters following the drills.

Iran’s decision to send a warship to the exercise had drawn attention because it came amid escalating tensions with the United States and Israel, including the targeted killing of Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.–Israeli strike that has triggered regional war in the middle east.

Despite the scale of the maritime incident and the loss of life, India has not issued a detailed public statement on the sinking of the Iranian ship. New Delhi has also not announced any participation in search or rescue coordination linked to the attack.

Opposition leaders in India have already criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remaining silent over recent U.S.–Israeli military actions against Iran, including the assassination of Khamenei.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera went further, openly challenging the prime minister’s response. “Will Narendra Modi show the moral courage to criticise this, express condolences to Iran and offer support to Sri Lanka in rescue and relief efforts? Or does even that require clearance from Washington and Tel Aviv?” he said.

India’s muted response comes amid a broader shift in New Delhi’s foreign policy in recent years, as the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has steadily deepened strategic and ideological alignment with Israel.

Under Modi’s Hindu nationalist administration, security cooperation, intelligence sharing and defense trade between India and Israel have expanded significantly, with analysts noting growing political affinity between the two governments.

That alignment has increasingly shaped India’s diplomatic posture in Middle East crises. The absence of any strong response following the sinking of an Iranian warship, days after it participated in an Indian-hosted naval exercise, has therefore reinforced perceptions among observers that New Delhi’s foreign policy priorities under Hindutva rule have moved closer to Washington and Tel Aviv, even when long-standing partners such as Iran are directly affected.