Iran's Navy chief has vowed "deadly retaliation" against enemies responsible for the killing of sailors in the Indian Ocean, intensifying tensions following a controversial incident off Sri Lanka's coast.

Rear Admiral Shahram Irani issued the stark warning after several Iranian sailors perished in an attack on the IRIS Dena warship, as reported by Iranian state broadcaster Press TV.

Addressing the tragedy, Admiral Irani declared that Tehran would never forget the "enemy's crime" and would seek retribution for the blood of its martyrs.

He emphasised that the response would strike from an unexpected quarter, leaving adversaries unprepared. "The enemy should know that we will punish it with deadly strikes from where it least expects," the commander stated.

Despite the ongoing period of mourning within Iran's naval forces, Admiral Irani asserted that the nation held the upper hand. "Although today we mourn our loved ones, by the grace of God, we have brought the enemy to its knees," he added.

This rhetoric builds on earlier pronouncements from Iran's Army chief, Major General Amir Hatami, who on 14 March warned that the deaths aboard the IRIS Dena "will not go unanswered."

The IRIS Dena, one of Iran's newest frigates, was struck while returning from a military exercise, having just completed what Hatami described as a "peaceful mission."

The sailors were targeted "despite not being engaged in a direct battle," Hatami noted, hailing their sacrifice as a symbol of courage in Iran's naval history.

Iranian authorities amplified their narrative on Friday by publicising images of the fallen sailors' coffins. The Iranian embassy in India identified them on X as "the pure and honoured bodies of the naval martyrs" lost in a "terrorist attack by US forces" on the IRIS Dena.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei provided operational specifics, stating that the frigate was torpedoed and sunk by a US submarine roughly 40 nautical miles off Galle, Sri Lanka.

Baqaei branded the US action a "war crime" and a breach of international law, noting that the Dena had been invited by the Indian Navy for a joint exercise and port visit beforehand.

He accused the United States of deliberately hindering rescue efforts, framing the strike as aggression under UN General Assembly Resolution 3314, as well as violations of Geneva Convention II and Additional Protocol I.

The incident unfolded on 4 March when the IRIS Dena sank south of Sri Lanka, hit approximately 20 nautical miles west of Galle.

Of the roughly 180 crew aboard, about 87 sailors perished. Around 32 survivors were rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy and treated in hospitals in Galle.

India extended assistance through its naval assets, deploying INS Tarangini, INS Ikshak, and P-8I maritime patrol aircraft to support Sri Lanka-led search and rescue operations.

The episode has heightened regional maritime frictions, with Iran pointing fingers squarely at the US amid its naval deployments in the Indian Ocean.

Admiral Irani's pledge of retaliation underscores Tehran's resolve to project power and deter perceived threats, even as grief lingers over the substantial loss of life.

ANI