KOCHI: Days before the sinking of IRIS Dena by a US submarine south of Sri Lanka, India was approached by Iran to take in another Iranian ship, IRIS Lavan, which was also in the region for the International Fleet Review. According to govt sources, India gave permission to the ship to safely dock at the Kochi port on March 1 and accommodated its 183 crew members at the naval facilities there.IRIS Dena, while on its way back from India, was sunk on March 4 in an incident many have described as a challenge to India’s regional influence and its traditional role as a security provider in the region. Iran foreign minister Seyed Araghchi later said that the ship had been a guest of the Indian Navy.Iran’s request for IRIS Lavan was received on Feb 28 – the day US and Israel launched their ‘Epic Fury’ offensive in that country – saying that a docking at Kochi be considered urgent as the vessel had developed “technical” issues, according to govt sources.Docking helped Lavan escape IRIS Dena’s fateApproval was accorded for the docking of Iranian ship, IRIS Lavan, on March 1… It docked at Kochi on March 4 and its crew of 183 are currently accommodated at Kochi naval facilities, said a source.New Delhi’s decision perhaps helped IRIS Lavan and its 183-strong crew escape the fate that befell IRIS Dena, which was sunk in international waters by a torpedo fired by a US submarine.The Iranian frigate was returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise hosted by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack.The crew of a third Iranian navy ship, IRIS Bushehr, which perhaps fearing another hit by a US submarine, has found shelter with Sri Lanka, while the ship itself remains anchored in international waters.