On a warm stretch of beach along India’s eastern coast, a group of young sailors from Iran were enjoying rare moments of relaxation after weeks at sea. Assigned to guide them around the port city of Visakhapatnam, local cadet Dileep Palla quickly bonded with the visiting crew. They played music together, posed for photographs, and relied on translation apps on their phones to bridge the language gap. Despite coming from vastly different cultures and political systems, the interactions were warm and spontaneous.
The sailors had arrived as participants in one of the world’s largest naval exercises, joining forces from roughly 70 other countries in a display of international maritime cooperation. For the Iranians, it was also a chance to step briefly outside the constraints of their heavily sanctioned homeland. They asked Palla about local shopping areas and eagerly discussed items they hoped to buy. Some were looking for smartwatches unavailable in Iran. A naval officer who loved fitness asked where he might find whey protein. Others were curious about spices they could take home.
But their excitement was tempered by the reality of Iran’s struggling currency. Many realized they could not afford much, Palla recalled. Instead, they shared personal stories about their families and homes. One sailor spoke fondly of almond trees planted by his grandmother, expressing a longing to see them again after long weeks at sea. “They were just like us,” Palla said later. “They were out at sea for more than 40 days and missing home.”
Roughly a week after departing India, tragedy struck. The Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sailing about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka’s southern coast when it was hit by a torpedo fired from a United States submarine. The strike killed more than 80 people, marking the first sinking of a warship by a US torpedo since World War II. The attack quickly became a flashpoint in the expanding conflict between Washington and Tehran.
For many in India, however, the geopolitical significance of the attack was overshadowed by its human cost. The sailors who perished were not distant figures in a global conflict. They were recent visitors, guests who had marched in local parades, dined with Indian officials, and formed friendships with young cadets and volunteers.
The reaction in India has been one of shock and quiet anger. While US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly described the attack as delivering a “quiet death” to an Iranian vessel, those who hosted the sailors saw it differently. To them, it felt like the tragic killing of invited guests.
The episode has drawn attention to a deeply rooted cultural value in India often cited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself: the Sanskrit phrase “Atithi Devo Bhava,” meaning “The guest is God.” For many Indians, the deaths of the sailors soon after their visit felt like a violation of that principle.
“It’s geopolitics, but we feel responsible because they were here on an invite,” said K Satheesh, a business owner in Visakhapatnam whose volunteer organization helped coordinate events for the visiting navies. “India needs to respond firmly.”
The incident has also stirred debate about the broader strategic relationship between India and the United States. Analysts say the strike has raised uncomfortable questions in New Delhi about Washington’s willingness to consider India’s regional interests.
According to reporting by Bloomberg, some strategic experts believe the attack sent an unsettling signal to India about the nature of the US partnership. Brahma Chellaney, a former adviser to India’s National Security Council and a prominent strategic analyst, said the sinking of the Iranian vessel in waters close to India’s maritime neighborhood suggested that Washington may not fully account for New Delhi’s sensitivities despite labeling it a “major defense partner.”
Political pressure is also building within India. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi criticized Prime Minister Modi for failing to publicly comment on the deaths of the Iranian sailors, accusing the government of undermining India’s strategic independence. Former diplomat MK Bhadrakumar likewise questioned the timing of Modi’s recent diplomatic outreach to Israel and the delay in offering condolences to Tehran.
For Modi, however, the calculus appears far more complex. India relies heavily on imported energy, and the escalating conflict with Iran has already pushed global oil prices higher. Nearly half of India’s oil imports travel through the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic chokepoint now threatened by Iranian actions. Fuel costs remain a critical political issue domestically, influencing everything from transportation to agriculture.
Farmers in particular could face rising fertilizer prices because natural gas, an essential ingredient in fertilizer production, is closely tied to global energy markets. Meanwhile, millions of Indian expatriate workers live across the Gulf region in countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, adding another layer of sensitivity to the crisis.
Maintaining silence on the attack may therefore serve Modi’s broader diplomatic strategy. India has long sought to position itself as a balancing power, maintaining relationships with rival nations simultaneously. While strengthening defense and economic ties with the United States and Israel, New Delhi has also preserved close links with Russia and Iran.
Recent diplomatic developments highlight this approach. The United States has granted India temporary permissions to import discounted Russian crude oil while also reducing certain tariffs as part of a broader trade arrangement. At the same time, Modi has expanded outreach to China, including a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing last year and steps to ease some investment restrictions imposed after earlier border tensions.
Experts say this hedging strategy reflects growing uncertainty about the reliability of global alliances. Chietigj Bajpaee, a South Asia analyst at Chatham House, told Bloomberg that the episode could reinforce perceptions among Indian policymakers that the United States is becoming a more transactional partner, prompting New Delhi to diversify its diplomatic relationships rather than rely too heavily on any single power.
While India’s leadership remains cautious in its public statements, the government has quietly taken steps that suggest concern. After the attack, another Iranian naval vessel received safe harbor at an Indian port, while Sri Lanka sheltered a second ship and assisted survivors from the IRIS Dena.
Sri Lankan authorities rescued 32 crew members from the wrecked vessel and treated them at a hospital in the southern city of Galle. Local officials described scenes of devastation as bodies were brought ashore, with the city’s mortuary reportedly running out of space. Community leaders eventually arranged additional storage containers to handle the influx of casualties.
The rescued sailors were visibly shaken. According to local officials, many expressed surprise and gratitude that strangers were willing to help them in the aftermath of the disaster.
Back in Visakhapatnam, memories of the Iranian sailors remain vivid. Indian cadets recall the final day of the naval exercise, when the Iranian naval band played music during a farewell gathering. One sailor exchanged his epaulet for a cadet’s beret as a keepsake.
For those who spent time with the crew, the geopolitical implications of the attack feel distant compared with the personal loss.
“They were a lively bunch of people,” one Indian official who attended an official banquet with the sailors recalled. “It was beyond shocking when I read they were at the bottom of the sea.”
Another cadet, D Susmitha Reddy, struggled to contain her emotions while describing her interactions with the visitors. She remembered how the sailors laughed, took photographs, and shared stories about their lives.
“They left behind great memories,” she said, her voice breaking. “We never imagined something like this could happen to them.”
