IRIS Dena Was on Peaceful Visit, Not Ready for War

COLOMBO (News 1st); Iran has rejected claims that its naval vessel IRIS Dena was warned before it was attacked, insisting the ship was on a peaceful mission and had received no advance alerts, Iran’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alireza Delkhosh said.

Responding to questions from journalists in Colombo, Ambassador Delkhosh said that according to Iranian information, IRIS Dena was not prepared for conflict and was not engaged in any war-related activity at the time of the attack.

“According to our information, Dena was not ready for war and it was not here for war. It was not here for conflict,” he said.

He explained that the vessel had been participating in a peaceful exercise in India and was later invited by Sri Lanka to visit Colombo. He emphasized that the ship’s presence in Sri Lankan waters was the result of a formal invitation.

“During presence in India, this vessel with two other vessels were invited, I repeat it, invited by Sri Lankan side to come here. And just they came here upon their invitation,” Delkhosh said.

Addressing reports that IRIS Dena had requested permission to enter port 11 hours before it was attacked, Delkhosh said the vessel had received no alerts in advance from the United States.

“When they were here, they didn’t receive any alerts in advance from United States. They attacked it without any war, without any alerts,” he said.

The ambassador further claimed that most of those killed were not military personnel, stating that many were members of a music group aboard the vessel.

“More of these killed people are not army. They were music group, music band. Their weapons were saxophone and viola,” he said, adding that 104 people were killed in the attack.

Delkhosh expressed gratitude to the Sri Lankan government for its response following the incident, praising the hospitality extended to survivors and personnel from other Iranian vessels.

“We are thankful from Sri Lankan government to have very good hospitality from the remains of Dena’s personals and other vessels,” he said, noting that most of those currently in Sri Lanka are cadets.

He said Iran is working closely to repatriate them. “Right now they are here and Sri Lankan government is very hospitable country about them. We don’t have any issue and problem. We are working to take them to their country and their family as soon as possible,” he said.

Clarifying the timeline of the invitation, Delkhosh said the request was made during the naval exercise in India, when Sri Lanka’s navy commander invited Iran’s navy commander to send vessels to Sri Lankan waters for friendly visits.

“Three of them. One went to Indian coast and two of them came here. Dena was attacked and Bushehr is here,” he said.