Cong questions India’s 'influence' after Iranian warship reportedly sunk near Sri Lanka

An Iranian naval vessel returning from a multinational naval exercise hosted by India was reportedly sunk near Sri Lanka on Wednesday, triggering a political reaction in India with the Congress questioning New Delhi’s influence in the region.

Earlier reports citing sources in Sri Lanka’s navy and defence ministry said a suspected submarine attack on an Iranian ship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka had left more than 100 people missing, one dead and dozens injured after the vessel sank.

According to those sources, rescue teams recovered dozens of survivors after responding to a distress call from the ship early in the morning. Conflicting figures have emerged regarding the number of casualties and those rescued.

While one navy source told Reuters that 79 people had been rescued and brought to hospital and that 101 others were believed to be missing, a Sri Lankan navy spokesperson disputed those numbers, saying reports of over 100 missing were inaccurate and that at least 32 injured individuals had been rescued and were receiving treatment.

Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Vijitha Herath informed Parliament that the navy had launched rescue operations at around 6.00 am after receiving a distress call from the vessel off the coast of Galle in southern Sri Lanka. Local media reported that the injured survivors were admitted to a hospital in the city.

Amid the uncertainty surrounding the attack, social media accounts tracking military developments claimed the vessel was an Iranian navy warship.

The account Clash Report posted on X that the Iranian Navy’s Mowj-class frigate Dena had been sunk by a US submarine near Sri Lanka. The account claimed 32 severely injured sailors had been rescued while 148 remained missing.

It also said the ship had been returning from the MILAN 2026 International Fleet Review, a multinational naval exercise hosted by India, when it sank on 4 March.

The claims have not been independently verified, and there has been no official confirmation from either Iran or the United States.

The development quickly triggered a political reaction in India after Congress media and publicity department chief Pawan Khera shared the post and questioned New Delhi’s regional standing.

“Today, an Iranian naval vessel — returning from the Milan 2026 International Fleet Review, where it had been invited by India — was sunk by a U.S. submarine at the edge of Indian waters near Sri Lanka,” Khera wrote on X. “Does India have no influence left in its own neighbourhood? Or has that space also been quietly ceded to Washington and Tel Aviv?”

The remarks add a domestic political dimension to an incident that could have broader geopolitical implications if the claims about a US submarine strike are confirmed.

Officials in Sri Lanka have so far not identified the vessel involved or confirmed the cause of the sinking, while rescue operations and efforts to verify casualty figures were continuing.

With agency inputs