MC EXCLUSIVE 'Surveillance must improve': US sinking of Iran warship near Sri Lanka raises security concerns for India

Sri Lanka Navy rescues Iranian sailors after IRIS Dena distress call received

The sinking of an Iranian naval vessel in waters south of Sri Lanka during the escalating conflict in West Asia has triggered fresh security concerns for India, particularly over maritime surveillance and submarine activity in the region.

According to strategic expert Major General AK Siwach, the incident, which occurred close to India’s maritime zone, highlights potential gaps in monitoring critical sea lanes and raises questions about the presence of foreign submarines operating near Indian waters.

Speaking to Moneycontrol, Siwach said the Iranian warship had earlier visited India as part of a ceremonial naval event before the incident occurred. “This ship had come as a guest of India. It had participated in an international fleet review and was going back after the ceremonial exercise,” he said.

The vessel was reportedly struck by a submarine roughly 75 km south of Sri Lanka’s coast in international waters, an area that lies uncomfortably close to India’s strategic maritime zone. “This ship has been sunk about 75 km south of the Sri Lanka coast in international waters, but what is important is that it is very close to India’s exclusive economic zone,” Siwach said.

The proximity of the attack to India’s maritime boundaries, he argued, makes the episode more than just a distant theatre of war. Instead, it underlines the possibility that foreign submarines may be operating undetected in waters close to India’s shipping lanes.

“We have to be very careful. Our surveillance has to be better to identify any nuclear-powered submarine operating close to our sea lanes,” he said.

Siwach added that the incident demonstrates the growing strategic competition unfolding in the Indian Ocean as global powers project military force beyond traditional conflict zones.

“We must upgrade our surveillance system because if submarines are lurking very close to the zone during this war, it is not good for our security,” he said.

The incident highlights how the expanding conflict in the Middle East is now casting a shadow far beyond its immediate theatre, with potential implications for maritime security in the wider Indian Ocean region.