• Amid the US–Israel–Iran geopolitical clash
• IRIS Dena sinking close to the Southern coast of SL

The sinking of the Iranian frigate – IRIS Dena - near the Southern coast of Sri Lanka is a microcosm of contemporary global geopolitical tensions. Drawing on critical geopolitics, complex interdependence theory, the regional security complex theory, and weaponised interdependence, this situates this localised incident within broader patterns of power projection by the US, Israel, and Iran. The incident highlights the vulnerabilities of small states in an interconnected global system, where distant military actions can generate localised strategic, economic, and psychological consequences. The analysis of the Sri Lankan public’s response, the media coverage, and Government positioning underscores the challenges of maintaining diplomatic neutrality while navigating complex regional and global power dynamics. The IRIS Dena incident exemplifies how modern military capabilities, geopolitical networks, and media narratives converge to produce multi-layered impacts on smaller, strategically located states in the 21st Century.

Introduction

A month ago, the media initially reported that an Iranian ship had sunk close to the Southern coast near Galle. Later reports confirmed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena sank in the Indian Ocean off the Southern coast of Sri Lanka, near Galle. The incident occurred about 40 nautical miles (approximately 70–75 kilometres) south of Galle. The location was outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters but within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

At the time of the incident, the ship reportedly had around 180 crew members on board. Following the sinking, the Sri Lanka Navy conducted rescue operations, rescuing 32 sailors and recovering 87 bodies. The rescued sailors were later taken to the Galle National Hospital in Karapitiya for medical treatment.

However, later reports from international media indicated the ship had been torpedoed by the US and Israel as part of the ongoing conflict with Iran. Some reports suggested that such an attack on a naval vessel in this region is extremely rare and has not occurred on this scale since the period following World War II.

The news created concern among many Sri Lankans, as the Middle Eastern (ME) conflict appeared to be extending closer to the Indian Ocean region and the Sri Lankan maritime boundary. Initially, the national media did not report the full details of the incident. However, when international media revealed the alleged military attack by US and Israel, Opposition politicians criticised the Government and the State media, accusing them of withholding the real story and providing incomplete information to the public.

In response, the Government later stated the initial reports were based on the limited information available at the time. According to officials, once the actual circumstances of the attack became clearer, national media began continuously reporting updates about the incident.

Theoretical framework

To understand the IRIS Dena incident as more than an isolated naval event, it is essential to situate it within contemporary international relations scholarship. The classic liberal institutionalist theory introduced the concept of complex interdependence, emphasising that multiple channels of interaction — economic, political, and institutional — connect states and non-state actors in ways that go beyond traditional military confrontation. According to R.O. Keohane and J.S. Nye Junior's Power and Interdependence: World Politics in Transition, complex interdependence “consists of multiple channels of contact” and there is “no hierarchy of issues” that automatically privileges military security over economic or diplomatic concerns, making states mutually vulnerable to actions occurring far from their own borders.

Meanwhile, the regional security complex theory posited by B. Buzan and O. Wæver in Regions and Powers: The Structure of International Security argues that international security dynamics are best understood through geographically clustered patterns, where threats and insecurities are socially and politically constructed. As Buzan and Wæver note, “security relations between states tend to be geographically clustered such that threats are more intense within a region than beyond it”, which helps explain why a conflict in the ME can generate localised security anxieties in Sri Lanka.

More recently, scholars have developed the weaponised interdependence framework, which accounts for power asymmetries in global networks. H. Farrell and A.L. Newman's Weaponised Interdependence: How Global Economic Networks Shape State Coercion explains that “global economic networks…can be repurposed as tools of state coercion” rather than merely fostering cooperation. This perspective shows how major powers can project influence over vast distances, affecting weaker states indirectly through economic, informational, and military channels.

Taken together, these theoretical lenses illuminate the IRIS Dena incident as an event embedded in interconnected global power dynamics, where military actions by major powers ripple across economic, political, and security networks, producing vulnerabilities for smaller States such as Sri Lanka.

Analysis of the broader implications of the incident

This context and the incident are now creating a psychologically vulnerable situation in the minds of the Sri Lankan public. Questions are being raised about how an Iranian frigate carrying nearly 180 crew members was navigating through the Indian Ocean close to Sri Lanka. Initial reports suggested the ship was en route to India for Naval training. However, according to international maritime reports, the ship may have been unable to return to Iran due to the escalating military tensions in the ME maritime region.

The Sri Lankan society is now somewhat shocked, and rumours are spreading regarding whether the Government could have anticipated or scrutinised such a situation earlier. Many people are questioning how a military action allegedly involving the US and Israel could occur in international waters so close to Sri Lanka and the Indian Ocean region. The major concern among the public is whether Sri Lanka could face security threats as a result of the ongoing confrontation between the US, Israel, and Iran.

Another important issue relates to Sri Lanka’s foreign policy. Sri Lanka has historically attempted to maintain a balanced or middle-path foreign policy, maintaining relations with multiple global actors. The question now being raised is whether Sri Lanka will be pressured to align with one side in the conflict — either the US and Israel or Iran. Historically, Sri Lanka has maintained cooperative relations with both sides. For example, during the Presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Iranian leadership, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, visited Sri Lanka and supported major national development projects such as energy and power infrastructure. At the same time, many Sri Lankans currently work in Israel, and a significant number of Sri Lankan professionals are employed in the US as well.

A third concern relates to the broader geopolitical situation. If major regional powers such as China, India, or Russia become involved in the conflict — either directly or indirectly — the strategic position of Sri Lanka could become more complex. In such a scenario, Sri Lanka may face difficult diplomatic decisions about which political or strategic position to adopt in the emerging global alignment.

Historically, global conflicts have affected Sri Lanka before. During the World Wars I and II, the City of Colombo experienced aerial attacks, demonstrating how global wars can extend into the Indian Ocean region. Therefore, this current naval incident may symbolise a broader geopolitical shift in which conflicts that began in the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem region later expanded toward Iran, Iraq, and now appear to have implications for the Indian Ocean geopolitical space.

Some analysts interpret the situation as part of a wider global power struggle between Western and Eastern geopolitical blocs. They argue that the confrontation involving the US and Israel may influence other regions and draw in additional global powers. In this context, the sinking of a naval vessel close to Sri Lanka metaphorically reflects how modern military power can operate over long distances and how local regions may become indirectly involved in broader global conflicts.

Thus, this incident in the Indian Ocean raises important questions about regional security, Sri Lanka’s diplomatic neutrality, and the evolving geopolitical competition among global powers in the 21st Century.

Conclusion

The IRIS Dena incident highlights the complex interaction between global power projection and local strategic vulnerability. Though occurring in international waters near Sri Lanka, its effects extend beyond the immediate loss of life and naval assets, illustrating how small states can become entangled in broader geopolitical conflicts despite attempts at neutrality. Drawing on complex interdependence and weaponised interdependence frameworks, the event demonstrates that modern military actions intersect with economic networks, media narratives, and diplomatic pressures, producing cascading consequences for regional actors. For Sri Lanka, the incident raises critical questions about national security, foreign policy alignment, and crisis communication, emphasising the need for proactive monitoring and robust risk-assessment mechanisms. The public perception of vulnerability, amplified by incomplete reporting and international revelations, underscores the importance of transparency and timely Governmental communication. Ultimately, the IRIS Dena sinking serves as a strategic case study of contemporary warfare and global power asymmetries, offering lessons for small and middle powers navigating the 21st Century geopolitical landscape.

The writer is a Senior Lecturer at and the Head of the Kelaniya University’s Mass Communication Department

---------

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication