Iran has called 180 naval personnel from India, they will fly from Kochi; bodies are also being returned from Sri Lanka.

New Delhi. Amidst escalating military tensions between the United States and Iran in the Middle East, India has to carry out a sensitive mission involving the Iranian warship IRIS Lavan docked in Kochi. Iran has made special arrangements for the repatriation of around 180 of its sailors from India. Apart from this, the bodies of the sailors killed in the US attack off the coast of Sri Lanka are also being sent to Iran via India.

According to officials, the ship was granted emergency docking permission on March 1 due to a technical snag and has been docked in Kochi since March 4. The ship had a total of 183 crew members, who were accommodated at Indian Navy facilities. Non-essential crew will now be transported to Armenia via Turkish Airlines flight and then to Iran by road. Some technical and essential personnel will remain on board the ship in Kochi.

This development comes after a US submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka. Of the 130 sailors on board, 32 were rescued, while dozens are still missing.

India is currently facing a severe energy crisis. With cooking gas shortages affecting lives in the country, India has maintained constant diplomatic contact with Iran to ensure the safe passage of ships through its ports. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, four times by phone to discuss key issues such as security and energy. 

Sources said Iran had requested special transportation from India, and the Indian Navy fulfilled it. The safe air and road transport of the returning sailors and bodies from Kochi to Iran is considered crucial from the diplomatic and regional security perspective. Meanwhile, this development is considered highly sensitive in terms of both the Middle East conflict and India-Iran diplomacy.