Govt looks ‘timid, fearful’ after US submarine sinks Iranian warship: Congress

A day after a US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in international waters off Sri Lanka’s coast, the Congress slammed the Modi government on Thursday, calling its silence “shocking” and claiming that never before has the Indian government appeared so “timid and fearful”.

Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh highlighted the diplomatic implications of the strike, noting that India’s flagship multilateral naval exercise, MILAN, had recently concluded with participation from both the United States and Iran. The 13th edition of the exercise was held in Visakhapatnam from 19 to 25 February 2026, and inaugurated by defence minister Rajnath Singh, featuring 18 warships from across the globe.

“The sinking of the Iranian warship, which was returning home after participating in MILAN, about 40 nautical miles south of Galle in Sri Lanka, is extraordinary,” Ramesh said in a post on X. “This US action has enormous implications for India, yet there has been no official response. Perhaps it should not surprise us, as the government has still not broken its silence over the targeted assassinations in Iran. Never before has the Indian government looked so timid and fearful.”

The incident marks a major escalation in the West Asia crisis. US defence secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed at a Pentagon briefing that the strike represented the first sinking of an enemy warship by a torpedo since World War II. According to the Sri Lankan Navy, 87 bodies were recovered while 32 crew members were rescued following the attack.

The sinking of IRIS Dena raises serious questions regarding maritime security in the Indian Ocean, often considered India’s strategic backyard. The US action came shortly after the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, which killed Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei, and several senior officials. In retaliation, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and American military installations across the Gulf region, including in the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

In recent days, the conflict has expanded dramatically, with attacks and counter-attacks widening beyond the Persian Gulf. Analysts say the US strike on a ship returning from an India-hosted exercise sets a dangerous precedent for maritime operations in the Indian Ocean and could impact India’s regional credibility.

India, meanwhile, has called for a peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy, emphasising the importance of restraint and stability in a region already under intense military tension.

With PTI inputs