WANA (Jun 30) – Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the attack on the Iranian Navy’s Dena destroyer as a “war crime” after visiting an exhibition displaying personal belongings and memorabilia of crew members killed in the incident.

 

Araghchi thanked the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy and its commander, Rear Admiral Irani, for organizing what he called a deeply moving exhibition, and paid tribute to the sailors who lost their lives aboard the Dena.

 

He said the Foreign Ministry was informed immediately after the incident and carried out its responsibilities, including coordinating the transfer of the victims’ bodies, evacuating the wounded, and taking other necessary measures.

 

“The attack was undoubtedly a war crime that will be recorded in history,” Araghchi said.

 

According to the foreign minister, the Dena was operating hundreds of kilometers away from the conflict zone on a training and ceremonial mission to participate in a naval event in another country. He said the vessel was not engaged in military operations, carried no weapons, and was attacked without prior warning.

 

“This cannot be considered a naval victory. It only demonstrates the enemy’s weakness,” he said.

 

Araghchi added that targeting personnel far from the battlefield who were on a routine mission, unarmed and unaware of any imminent threat, constituted a war crime.

 

He said the Foreign Ministry’s legal department, in cooperation with the Iranian Navy, will collect evidence related to the attack and pursue all available legal avenues.

 

“We have begun the necessary preparations and preliminary legal studies. We will neither forget nor overlook the blood of these martyrs, and the Foreign Ministry will fulfill all of its responsibilities,” he said.

 

Araghchi also said the deaths of the Dena crew, along with others killed during what he described as the “criminal aggression,” including children in Minab, contributed to Iran’s eventual victory.

 

He said he did not believe the victims’ sacrifices had been in vain, arguing that “their blood strengthened the Islamic Republic and contributed to our ultimate victory over enemies who entered the conflict with all their capabilities but failed to achieve any of their objectives.”

 

Calling the attack on an unarmed target far from the battlefield “a sign of cowardice rather than strength,” Araghchi concluded by offering condolences to the families of the victims and praised what he described as their dignity and resilience during the funeral ceremonies.