The war being waged on Iran by the United States of America and Israel was always going to take on broader dimensions for India, which has millions of citizens in the Gulf countries. But on Wednesday, the conflict drew nearer home — quite literally — after a US submarine used a torpedo to sink an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka. The navy of Sri Lanka rapidly intervened to save more than 30 sailors but over 80 were killed and dozens remain missing. It is the first time that the US has torpedoed an enemy ship since World War II. Even as Iran protested, the US secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth, made it clear that American warships would target Iranian vessels anywhere. In asserting that, the Donald Trump administration has dragged the war from the Middle East to South Asia and has suggested that no place is out of bounds. Already, Gulf nations have been trying desperately to signal to Iran that they are not a part of the war and that Tehran should therefore stop lobbing missiles and drones at them. South Asian nations, including India, might soon need to similarly plead with the warring nations to keep them out of it.

The story of IRIS Dena, the Iranian warship, is particularly significant for India. The frigate was in the Indian Ocean at India’s invitation, and had participated in naval drills off Visakhapatnam. Its sailors had joined a parade in the city and met the Indian president. Given that backdrop, some commentators have suggested that India ought to have done more to ensure the ship’s security. But the ship was in international waters when it was hit: India could not have done much legally or practically. Criticism of the Indian government, in this case, is misplaced. Still, the episode is a stark reminder that in a world where might is unapologetically right, ambitions of emerging powers like India are often hostage to the piracy of nations desperate to demonstrate raw muscle. The change in perception in the neighbourhood on the US, from a force of stability to an agent of chaos, is pertinent in this context. Fresh worries loom ahead. Another Iranian ship that participated in the exercises in India is now close to where the Dena was sunk. Its safety in international waters is not India’s responsibility. But with each such strike, the war creeps closer. That is a situation that India must do everything it can to avoid.