Iranian warship IRIS Dena. File
| Photo Credit: AP
A day after a U.S. submarine torpedoed and sank an Iranian warship in international waters off Sri Lanka’s coast, the Congress on Thursday (March 5, 2026) said it is shocking that there has been no response from the Modi government and claimed that never before has the Indian government looked so “timid and fearful”.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also said maybe it should not be surprising since the Modi government has still not broken its silence over the targeted assassinations in Iran.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (March 5, 2026) attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the West Asia conflict has reached India’s backyard but he has not spoken, and while the country needed a steady hand at the wheel, it has a “compromised PM who has surrendered our strategic autonomy”.
Mr. Gandhi said the world has entered a volatile phase and “stormy seas lie ahead” “India’s oil supplies are under threat, with more than 40% of our imports transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The situation is even worse for LPG and LNG,” he said on X.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thurday (March 5, 2026) said that Modi government’s “reckless abdication of India’s strategic & national interests is there for all to see”, in a post on X.
U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, confirming the strike, said at a Pentagon media briefing that it was the first sinking of an enemy warship by a torpedo since World War II.
The Associated Press, quoting the Sri Lankan Navy, reported that 87 bodies were recovered and that 32 people were rescued following the sinking of the warship IRIS Dena.
The incident marks a major escalation of the conflict between the U.S. and Iran outside of the Persian Gulf and throws up questions relating to maritime security in the Indian Ocean that is largely considered as the backyard of the Indian Navy.
The U.S. and Israel launched military strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Following the military offensive, Iran has carried out a wave of attacks mainly targeting Israel and American military bases in several Gulf countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
In the last few days, the conflict has widened significantly with attacks and counter-attacks by both sides.
India has called for resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
Published – March 05, 2026 01:48 pm IST
