India’s government on Monday defended its decision to allow an Iranian naval vessel to dock at a southern Indian port, saying the move was the “right thing to do” on humanitarian grounds amid escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told reporters that Iran had sought permission for three of its ships to enter Indian ports, and New Delhi granted the request on March 1 after one of the vessels reported technical difficulties while operating in the Indian Ocean.
“The government believed that it was the right thing to do,” Jaishankar said, indicating that humanitarian considerations guided India’s response, even as regional tensions have spilled into waters beyond the Middle East.
The Iranian vessel, identified by officials as the IRIS Lavan, later docked at Kochi in the southern Indian state of Kerala, and its crew has been accommodated at naval facilities. Other Iranian ships reportedly in the region also made similar requests for assistance as the conflict intensified.
India’s decision comes against the backdrop of a broader regional escalation. A U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast earlier in the conflict, resulting in significant loss of life and drawing widespread international attention to the Indian Ocean theatre.
New Delhi has so far refrained from aligning with either side in the conflict, balancing longstanding relations with Tehran against strategic ties with Washington and Israel while repeatedly urging de‑escalation and restraint. Analysts say the docking decision highlights India’s delicate diplomatic position amid overlapping geopolitical pressures.
The Indian foreign minister’s remarks underscore New Delhi’s emphasis on humanitarian principles and adherence to international maritime norms even as the regional war shows signs of expanding beyond its original theatres.