After witnessing Sri Lanka's rescue efforts, India felt immense external pressure and announced that it had also saved another Iranian warship!

After a neighboring Sri Lanka bravely came to the aid of Iran's stranded warship, India saw the winds of criticism turning against it and immediately jumped out to declare: "Don't misunderstand, I also saved one!"

The Iranian frigate "Dena" was directly severed in half by a torpedo launched by a US nuclear submarine. At this point, everyone's eyes turned to India. Why? Because the "Dena" was a guest of India! It was invited by India to participate in military exercises, and the ship even departed from an Indian port. According to common sense, as the host, India should have been frantic and immediately sent ships to rescue. But in reality, the Indian authorities remained silent for an entire day.

In contrast, Sri Lanka was truly straightforward. After receiving the distress signal, the first rescue ship left within an hour, followed by the air force. Regardless of great power games, they prioritized saving lives. In the end, they salvaged 87 bodies and rescued 32 survivors, and also held the pressure to escort the other Iranian supply ship "Bushehr" into Trincomalee Port. This comparison clearly showed the difference. The Indian domestic public opinion exploded instantly, with netizens feeling a burning pain on their faces. How could they let their neighbor's guest be attacked, yet remain silent? Where would they put their face?

This "silence" brought diplomatic pressure and public backlash, which obviously made New Delhi uneasy. Imagine this: on one side, Sri Lanka received full marks for international humanitarian spirit, while on the other side, India was accused of being "cold-blooded," and some even suspected that India might have passed a knife to the US. If this continued, India's leadership in South Asia and its international image would collapse.

Therefore, while people were still discussing Sri Lanka's noble act, the Indian authorities suddenly released a bombshell news: we also saved people! And it was another Iranian warship! According to India's statement, on the same day as the "Dena" was attacked, March 4th, the Iranian landing ship "Iris Lavand" entered Cochin Port with 183 crew members. However, the problem is that Iran had already requested to dock on February 28th, claiming there were some technical problems, and India approved it on March 1st.

Let's think about this move. First, the timing was too convenient. Not saying anything earlier or later, but precisely when Sri Lanka had won widespread praise for its rescue efforts and India was being criticized heavily. This was clearly to counteract negative public opinion and tell everyone: "Don't just look at Sri Lanka, we India are also good people, we also protected the Iranian warship." The Indian side emphasized that the request was made on February 28th and approved on March 1st. What does this mean? It shows that this matter had already been decided before the "Dena" incident. In other words, this was not a "rescue" that India thought of on the spot after the incident, but rather a routine stopover. However, India now packaged it as a "protection" act, trying to claim a share of the moral high ground.

Now, Sri Lanka's actions have set the standard. If India continues to play dumb, it will not only lose support in the Islamic world, but also fail to appease its own people. Therefore, releasing the story of the "Lavand" is a necessary move. It doesn't require directly criticizing the US (since the "Lavand" entering the port was already approved), but can demonstrate its "friendliness" towards Iran, and slightly salvage some face.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1858964414431240/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.