US strike on Iranian warship tests India's neutrality

"When [Iranian sailors] set out and came here, the situation was totally different. They were coming in for a fleet review. And then they got, in a way, caught on the wrong side of events. The sinking was part of the "reality of the Indian Ocean." This characterization by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar reflected India's diplomatic approach to the incident, acknowledging the changed circumstances while avoiding direct condemnation of the US action."

"The restrained public response reflects a familiar pattern in India's foreign policy—avoiding direct criticism of strategic partners even when uncomfortable incidents arise. It also matches with India's diplomatic course on the ongoing Iran war, with New Delhi avoiding taking sides and calling for restraint, de-escalation and a return to dialogue."

"The conflict has reached our backyard, with an Iranian warship sunk in the Indian Ocean. Yet the Prime Minister has said nothing. Opposition parties criticized the government's silence as weakness and vulnerability to regional crises, demanding condemnation of the US military action."

On March 4, a US Navy attack submarine sank the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena in international waters approximately 20 nautical miles off Sri Lanka's southern coast. The vessel was returning from MILAN 2026, a multinational naval exercise hosted by India. The attack killed at least 87 Iranian sailors and represented significant escalation in US-Iran conflict beyond the Persian Gulf. India's response remained notably restrained, with Prime Minister Modi initially silent and Foreign Minister Jaishankar characterizing the incident as part of the Indian Ocean's "reality." This measured response reflects India's established diplomatic pattern of avoiding direct criticism of strategic partners while maintaining its stated position of neutrality, de-escalation, and dialogue in the Iran conflict. Opposition parties criticized the government's silence as weakness.

Read at www.dw.com