Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has said that the Iranian ship targeted by a US submarine attack off the coast of Sri Lanka would not have been in the region if it had not been invited to take part in India’s Milan naval exercise.
“We were the hosts. As per protocol for this exercise, ships cannot carry any ammunition. It was defenceless. The Iranian naval personnel had paraded before our president,” he noted.
Sibal argued that the attack was premeditated, pointing out that the US Navy had been invited to the exercise but withdrew at the last minute, “presumably with this operation in mind.”
He added that the US ignored India’s sensitivities, as the Iranian ship was present in the waters due to India’s invitation.
He stressed that India was neither politically nor militarily responsible for the US attack, but carried a moral and humanitarian responsibility.
“A word of condolence by the Indian Navy (after political clearance) at the loss of lives of those who were our invitees and saluted our president would be in order,” he said. (Newswire)