On the evening of February 19, a group of students from various colleges in Visakhapatnam stood on the steps of the Beach View Holiday Home hotel on RK Beach Road, watching sailors from several countries march past.
Among them were sailors from Iran, who Milan 2026 naval exercise. “The students were among thousands who turned up to watch the parade. I specifically recall seeing the Iranian contingent, though there were sailors from other countries too. It was quite a spectacle. They posed for selfies and took photos of the beach… As a hotelier, I always hope that whoever visits beautiful Vizag returns home safely,” said Suresh K, the hotel owner.
After the naval exercise, the Iranian warship IRIS Dena was returning from Visakhapatnam when it was off the southern coast of Sri Lanka in the early hours of Wednesday. Most of the 180 crew on board the ship are dead or missing.
During their time in India, some of the Iranian sailors visited the Rushikonda hilltop known as Kailasagiri, the Victory at Sea War Memorial, the submarine museum, and the Sankalp Art Village on the outskirts of Vizag, and enjoyed tea and snacks at the Milan pavilion. “Much of their time ashore was spent with naval officers,” an official said.
President Droupadi Murmu had also visited Vizag for the exercise.
At the march past on RK Beach Road, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, S Abdul Nazeer, was the Chief Guest. The event was hosted by Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff. Also in attendance were senior central and state government officials, former Indian Navy chiefs, naval chiefs and heads of delegations from participating countries, and senior Indian Navy officers.
A naval officer said that the chief of the Iranian Navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, and Abuzar Zarri, Commanding Officer of IRIS Dena, were also present.
“There were cross-deck visits by Iranian crew to Indian warships, and Indian Navy personnel went aboard the Iranian ship. Young officers interacted with one another,” an official said. “They were a jovial bunch. We all enjoyed their time here.”
“On their last day, they went sightseeing and shopping. They were very taken with the glass skywalk at Kailasagiri,” one of their Navy guides recalled.
“They were young men in their twenties, awed by the warm welcome they received,” a Navy officer said. “While shopping, they chose traditional Indian weaves for their families back home.”
A member of the AP Gramin Vikas Bank, which has an office on the Beach Road, said, “It was a beautiful parade; I remember seeing the Iranian sailors. The day before, I watched the rehearsals. The sailors posed for selfies, videos, and photos and interacted with locals. It is disturbing to know that those who marched past our beach road just days ago may have met this fate.”
