Ex-Indian foreign secretary slams US for attacking Iranian ship

Striking an unarmed vessel returning from Indian-led naval exercises puts New Delhi in an uncomfortable position, Kanwal Sibal has told RT

The US attack on an Iranian ship returning from a naval exercise hosted by India was a blatant breach of international maritime norms, former Indian diplomat Kanwal Sibal has told RT.

A US submarine sank Iranian Navy frigate the IRIS Dena on Monday, 40 nautical miles off the city of Galle in southwestern Sri Lanka. At least 87 people were killed in the attack. The Sri Lankan Navy and Air Force, with assistance from the Indian Navy, conducted a major rescue operation, saving 32 sailors.

Attacking the unarmed ship returning from the naval exercise in the Indian Ocean was “unnecessary,” former Indian Foreign Secretary Sibal told RT.

“They [the US] were aware the ship was there. They had the plane capable of surveillance. And then they position themself at a spot to make sure the frigate was sunk. It is nothing to boast about,” he said. “If they wanted to attack it, they could have done it when it was close to Iran where the war is taking place,” Sibal said.

India had invited a host of countries, including the US and Iran, for its biennial MILAN naval exercise. The US Navy participated in the drills with a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft (MPRA) from Patrol Squadron, according to an official statement.

Sibal said ships do not come armed for the exercises. “So, it is not as if the Iranian ship was armed to the teeth. It is a bit embarrassing for India since we were the hosts [of the naval exercises],” he said.

The attack also flouted international maritime norms, which stipulate that even in a conflict scenario, sailors in distress should be rescued from a humanitarian point of view, he said.

“After it was hit by the torpedo, the US submarine attacked it again to ensure that it sunk and the lives are lost. And then they have publicized in international media. I don’t think it goes to the credit of the US,” Sibal said. 

The development came days after the US and Israeli militaries launched massive airstrikes on Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several senior Iranian commanders.