Iran released photos of the coffins of IRIS Dena sailors, calling their deaths the result of a ‘terrorist attack’ by US forces. The frigate was sunk by a US submarine torpedo off Sri Lanka, an act Iran’s foreign ministry called a ‘war crime’.
Iran Releases Photos, Blames US
The Iranian administration on Friday released pictures of coffins of fallen IRIS Dena sailors who lost their lives in the attack by US forces on the IRIS Dena warship.
In a post on X, the Iranian embassy in India said, “The pure and honoured bodies of the naval martyrs who lost their lives in the terrorist attack by US forces on the IRIS Dena warship.” The pure and honored bodies of the naval martyrs who lost their lives in the terrorist attack by U.S. forces on the IRIS Dena warship. pic.twitter.com/oKw2pCwp1p — Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) March 13, 2026
Iran Labels Attack a ‘War Crime’
Earlier, Esmaeil Baqaei, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, on Tuesday paid tributes to the sailors of IRIS Dena who were killed after the frigate was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine approximately 40 nautical miles off the coast of Galle, Sri Lanka. He called the action by the United States a “war crime” and in violation of international laws– further underlining that the Iranian people would not forget it.
In a post on X, Baqaei said, “We honour the fallen sailors of the #Dena frigate, martyred on 4 March far from their homeland. The Dena had been officially invited by the Indian Navy to participate in a joint naval exercise and a port visit. In a brutal act amounting to a war crime, the United States attacked the vessel near the coasts of India and Sri Lanka and sank it.” The post added, “Worse still, the U.S. deliberately obstructed rescue operations for the sailors. This act not only constitutes aggression under UN General Assembly Resolution 3314 (Definition of Aggression), but also a grave violation of the laws of war, including Geneva Convention II (1949) and Additional Protocol I (1977). The Iranian people will neither forget nor forgive this heinous crime.”
Sinking and Rescue Operations
IRIS Dena sank south of Sri Lanka on March 4 after being struck by a US submarine torpedo approximately 20 nautical miles west of Galle.
Following the incident, the Indian Navy deployed vessels, including INS Tarangini and INS Ikshak, along with maritime patrol aircraft such as P-8I aircraft, to assist Sri Lanka-led search and rescue operations.
Of the estimated 180 crew members on board IRIS Dena, around 87 sailors were reported dead, while about 32 survivors were rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy and admitted to hospitals in Galle. (ANI)
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