New Delhi, March 9 -- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday addressed India allowing the docking of Iranian navy ship IRIS Lavan in Kochi, telling Parliament that the decision was taken on humanitarian grounds, and was the correct thing to do.

In his statement on the situation in the Middle East, delivered to both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said, "The House will also be interested in the issue of an Iranian vessel currently docked in Kochi."

Explaining the sequence of events, Jaishankar said that the Iran had sought India's permission for the docking of three ships on 28 February, when the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran.

"This [docking permission] was accorded on 1 March," Jaishankar said, adding tha...