Iran to Repatriate Docked Iranian Warship Crew: Iran is set to repatriate most of the crew from its warship IRIS Lavan, docked in Kochi, India, following a recent naval incident involving another Iranian warship. The repatriation will be facilitated through a special chartered flight, as confirmed by sources on March 13, 2026.
The chartered flight will also transport the bodies of Iranian sailors who perished when the IRIS Dena was sunk by a US submarine near Lanka on March 4. While the majority of the 183-member crew of the warship will return to Iran, a small contingent will remain to maintain the vessel.
The Iranian government, in coordination with Indian authorities, arranged the special flight to ensure the safe return of its sailors. The flight, which also collected the bodies of the deceased from Colombo, had not yet departed Lanka as of late Friday night.
The IRIS Dena, prior to its sinking, had participated in an International Fleet Review and a multinational exercise hosted by the Indian Navy. On March 1, India had permitted three Iranian warships, including IRIS Lavan, to dock at its ports, a decision made on humanitarian grounds, according to Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
SL authorities have been in discussions with Iranian embassy officials regarding the future of the Iranian sailors rescued after the sinking of IRIS Dena. The SL government has granted one-month free visas to these sailors, offering necessary facilities on humanitarian grounds.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, March 14, 2026
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