India Says Allowing Iranian Ship Into Kochi Was a Humanitarian Decision, Not a Security Failure

COLOMBO (News 1st); India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said the decision to allow an Iranian naval ship with 183 sailors to dock in Kochi was guided entirely by humanitarian considerations and India’s commitment to UNCLOS and international law, after the vessel reported serious difficulties near Indian waters.

Responding to a question from journalist Palki Sharma, who noted that the ship had docked “very close to our maritime borders,” Dr. Jaishankar said India’s first concern was the wellbeing of those on board.

He explained that India received a message from Iran stating that one of the ships closest to Indian waters was facing problems and wished to enter an Indian port. “My recollection is this was on the 28th, and on the 1st we said, okay, you can come in,” he said. The ship then sailed over several days and docked in Kochi, where the personnel, many of them “young cadets,” disembarked and were moved to a nearby facility.

Dr. Jaishankar said the Iranian vessels originally travelled for a fleet review, and later found themselves “caught on the wrong side of events.” He described India’s response as “the humane thing to do,” adding that legal considerations were acknowledged but the overriding principle was humanity. He noted that the situation was similar to incidents handled in Sri Lanka, where another ship faced difficulties and a third “unfortunately didn’t make it.”

When asked whether this incident undermined India’s position as a “net security provider” in what critics call India’s “backyard,” Dr. Jaishankar dismissed the premise, calling social media debates “sharp, angular, sometimes extreme.”

He said any serious assessment must recognise the long‑standing presence of foreign military facilities in the Indian Ocean, including Diego Garcia, in place for five decades, and bases in Djibouti established in the early 2000s.

He added that the belief that the Indian Ocean is exclusively for its littoral states is inaccurate, stressing: “If you are asking me a serious question, I’ll give you a serious reply.” When asked again directly whether India is reconsidering its role as the region’s security provider, Dr. Jaishankar responded: “Any serious question has to take into account what is the ground or the water situation out there.”