The US-Israeli military campaign against Iran has now extended into the Indian Ocean, raising concerns in India about regional stability. An American submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in international waters off the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The vessel had been returning from joint naval exercises in India at the time of the strike. Reports indicate that around 80 personnel may have been killed, while Sri Lankan authorities have rescued about 30 survivors and taken them to a hospital in Galle.
The IRIS Dena had participated in the Milan International Fleet Review in the Bay of Bengal from February 18 to 25 and had visited Visakhapatnam before departing. The rescue operation, supported by Sri Lanka’s air force, was carried out under obligations set by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which requires assistance to vessels in distress regardless of nationality.
US naval presence in the region
The torpedo attack signals a significant American naval footprint in the Indian Ocean. The US Navy’s United States Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, oversees much of the western and central Indian Ocean, including the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea. It typically deploys 15 to 35 major warships, including carrier strike groups, destroyers, logistics vessels, and nuclear-powered attack submarines such as Virginia- and Los Angeles-class boats.
The strike has also prompted discussion about whether the United States Indo-Pacific Command is now directly involved in the conflict. The incident intersects with the Indo-Pacific framework in which India and the US cooperate through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, alongside Japan and Australia, promoting a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Strategic implications for India
The episode has sparked debate within India, as the sinking occurred in waters considered strategically important to New Delhi, though outside its territorial jurisdiction. Former Indian Navy chief Arun Prakash said the conflict had effectively reached India’s doorstep. Analyst Zorawar Daulet Singh noted that such scenarios were among those anticipated when India and the US signed the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016, allowing mutual access to military facilities for logistics support.
Other commentators, including defence expert Nitin A Gokhale, described the strike as a significant escalation, while retired naval officer Abhijit Singh highlighted the principle of wartime neutrality, explaining that regional states could not offer safe harbour without appearing to take sides.
Observers have pointed out that although the Indian Ocean is strategically vital to India, the strike occurred in international waters. Had the vessel entered Indian territorial waters, the diplomatic implications would have been far more complex.
Rare naval event and wider tensions
The sinking is notable for its rarity; only a handful of warships have been destroyed by submarines since World War II. Defence journalist Sandeep Unnithan described it as an uncommon event in modern naval warfare.
The development also coincides with signals from Pakistan that it could be drawn into the conflict due to its defence ties with Saudi Arabia. Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar reportedly cautioned Iran against targeting Saudi territory.
Overall, the torpedoing of IRIS Dena is significant both for its proximity to India and for the broader escalation it represents. While the strike occurred outside India’s legal jurisdiction, it has intensified debate over regional security, neutrality, and the potential spillover of Middle East tensions into South Asian waters.
