Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi’s silence after Iranian warship sunk in Indian Ocean

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Mar 5, 2026: A day after the Iranian warship IRIS Dena was torpedoed by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for remaining silent as the West Asia conflict inches closer to the Indian subcontinent.

The Congress leader alleged that while the country needs a steady and decisive leadership during a volatile global situation, India currently has a “compromised Prime Minister who has surrendered our strategic autonomy.”

Gandhi said the world has entered a dangerous phase and warned that “stormy seas lie ahead.”

In a post on X, he said India’s energy security could be at risk as more than 40 per cent of the country’s oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

“India’s oil supplies are under threat, with over 40% of our imports transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The situation is even worse for LPG and LNG,” he said.

He further pointed out that the conflict has already reached India’s vicinity after an Iranian warship was sunk in the Indian Ocean.

“The conflict has reached our backyard, with an Iranian warship sunk in the Indian Ocean. Yet the Prime Minister has said nothing,” Gandhi said, adding that the country needs a steady hand at the wheel during such a crisis.

“Instead, India has a compromised PM who has surrendered our strategic autonomy,” he alleged.

His remarks came a day after a US submarine torpedoed and sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena in international waters off the coast of Sri Lanka while it was returning after participating in the Milan Naval Exercise.

Confirming the strike, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a briefing at the Pentagon that it marked the first sinking of an enemy warship by a torpedo since World War II.

According to the Associated Press, quoting the Sri Lanka Navy, 87 bodies have been recovered and 32 personnel rescued after the warship sank.

The incident represents a significant escalation in tensions between the United States and Iran beyond the Persian Gulf, raising serious concerns about maritime security in the Indian Ocean, an area largely considered the strategic domain of the Indian Navy.

The escalation follows military strikes launched by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, in which Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed.

Since then, Iran has launched a series of retaliatory attacks targeting Israel and US military bases in several Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.

In recent days, the conflict has widened considerably with both sides carrying out attacks and counter-attacks.

India has called for de-escalation and urged all sides to resolve the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.