❗️Iran says Dena crew declared vessel unarmed before US attack

Iran’s Center for Lawyers of the Judiciary says an audio recording of the final communications involving the Iranian frigate Dena before it was attacked by the US off Sri Lanka on shows the crew stating that they were unarmed and on a training mission. Center head Hassan Abdollianpour said the recording contains exchanges between the Dena, a US naval vessel, and Sri Lanka’s shipping and ports authorities, with the Sri Lankan side reportedly confirming the crew’s statements.

He said obtaining the communications was crucial for building an accurate legal case, adding that the recordings were secured after extensive efforts and used in a documentary. Under international law, he said, assistance should have been provided to the crew even if the vessel had been targeted, but “Not only was no assistance provided, but a second attack was also carried out.”

The Dena, a Moudge-class frigate, was torpedoed and sunk by the US Navy submarine USS Charlotte in international waters about 19 nautical miles off Galle, Sri Lanka, on 4 March. It was returning to Iran after participating in India’s International Fleet Review 2026 naval exercise, to which Iran had been officially invited. The unarmed vessel was struck by a Mark 48 torpedo and had 136 crew members aboard, with 104 killed and 32 injured.

Abdollianpour said the legal case concerning Dena is being pursued “firmly and decisively,” with the Center for Lawyers of the Judiciary compiling extensive documentation for domestic and international proceedings. He said around 130,000 pages of expert assessments on war-related incidents and damages had been prepared with the participation of nearly 19,000 experts, stressing that the material is intended not only for domestic courts but also to provide standardized evidence for cases before international courts and legal bodies.

(Press TV)