IRIS Dena: US Submarine Sinks Iranian Warship in Indian Ocean

Why in News- Recently, an Iranian warship, IRIS Dena, returning from Visakhapatnam after participating in an Indian Navy exercise last month was torpedoed by a United States submarine near the southern coast of Sri Lanka.

Key Facts about IRIS Dena

• IRIS Dena is a Moudge-class frigate belonging to the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy.
• The ship is indigenously built in Iran and named after Mount Dena.
• It was designed for patrol, surveillance, and combat operations in regional waters.

Location of the Incident

• The Iranian warship IRIS Dena sank about 40 nautical miles off the coast of Galle in southern Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean.
• The waters south of Sri Lanka are strategically important as they lie close to major international shipping routes connecting Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Due to this strategic location, naval vessels from countries such as India, the United States, and China frequently patrol or transit through this region.

MILAN-2026 Naval Exercise

Prior to the incident, IRIS Dena had participated in the MILAN-2026 naval exercise and the International Fleet Review 2026 hosted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.

• The MILAN exercise aims to enhance naval cooperation, strengthen maritime security, and improve interoperability among participating navies.
• It is a multilateral naval exercise that brings together several Indo-Pacific countries to promote collaboration and stability in the maritime domain.

Governance of International Waters

International waters are primarily governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which acts as the global legal framework for the use and management of oceans and seas.

Key provisions of UNCLOS include:

• It defines territorial waters up to 12 nautical miles from a country's coastline, where the state exercises full sovereignty.
• It provides for an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending up to 200 nautical miles, where a coastal state has rights over the exploration and use of marine resources.
• It guarantees freedom of navigation in international waters, allowing ships from all countries to move through the seas.
• It also establishes rules and mechanisms for resolving maritime disputes and regulating the exploitation of ocean resources.

Source- IE