A special charter flight arranged by Iran departed from Kochi late on Friday, carrying most of the crew members of the Iranian naval vessel IRIS Lavan, which had docked at the Kerala port earlier this week. The flight was part of Iran’s effort to bring back its sailors after recent naval developments in the region. People familiar with the arrangements said the aircraft also transported the bodies of Iranian sailors who lost their lives when another Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, was attacked and sunk by a United States submarine near Sri Lanka on March 4.

According to sources, the chartered plane is believed to have arrived from Turkey and first travelled to Colombo to collect the bodies of the sailors who died during the sinking of IRIS Dena. After completing this process, the aircraft continued to Kochi, where the crew of IRIS Lavan boarded before it departed for Armenia. From there, the crew members and the bodies of the deceased sailors will be transported to Iran by road.

The repatriation operation mainly involved non-essential personnel from the IRIS Lavan, having a 183-member crew. Officials indicated that while many of the sailors were sent back on the charter flight, a smaller group of crew members will remain in Kochi to maintain the warship while it remains docked at the port.

Reports from Sri Lankan media also confirmed that the bodies of sailors from the IRIS Dena were moved earlier from Galle National Hospital to Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport to be transported on the charter flight. According to those reports, 45 bodies were shifted to the airport for the airlift arranged by Iranian authorities.

The incident involving IRIS Dena occurred when the vessel was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine in international waters off Sri Lanka’s southern coast on March 4. After the attack, Sri Lankan authorities conducted rescue and recovery operations. They recovered the bodies of 84 Iranian sailors from the sea and also managed to rescue 32 surviving crew members. The rescued sailors have been taken to a naval facility in Sri Lanka, where they are currently being housed and cared for.

IRIS Dena took part in an International Fleet Review and a multinational naval exercise hosted by the Indian Navy last month. The ship was operating in the region along with two other Iranian naval vessels — IRIS Lavan and IRIS Booshehr — before the attack took place.

On March 1, India granted permission to the three Iranian warships to dock at its ports after receiving a request from Tehran. However, only IRIS Lavan eventually docked at Kochi on March 4. The entire crew of 183 sailors from the vessel was accommodated at Indian naval facilities after its arrival.

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar earlier explained that the government’s decision to allow IRIS Lavan to dock at Kochi was taken from a humanitarian perspective. He said the authorities believed permitting the ship to berth at the Indian port was the appropriate course of action under the circumstances.

Meanwhile, the third Iranian naval ship, IRIS Booshehr, docked at Colombo in Sri Lanka. Its crew of 204 sailors was moved to a Sri Lankan naval facility where they are currently staying.

Sri Lankan officials are also coordinating closely with representatives of the Iranian embassy in Colombo to decide the next steps for the sailors who are still in the country. The Sri Lankan government has taken humanitarian measures by granting the Iranian sailors free visas for one month. Authorities have also assured that the sailors will receive the necessary support and facilities while they remain in Sri Lanka.

The situation has drawn attention due to the tragic loss of life and the involvement of several countries in handling the aftermath. Efforts are now focused on safely returning the sailors and ensuring proper arrangements for those who remain in Sri Lanka until further decisions are made.