India, March 7 -- A massive Iranian warship slipped quietly into Kochi harbor Wednesday, finding unexpected refuge at India's southern naval base just hours after American torpedoes sent a sister vessel to the ocean floor off Sri Lanka. The IRIS Lavan, carrying 183 sailors, docked under the shadow of escalating US-Iran hostilities that have already claimed 87 lives at sea. Indian officials moved swiftly to house the crew at secure naval facilities, threading a delicate needle between old friendships and new alliances.

How IRIS Lavan Found Safe Harbor at Kochi Iran first approached India on February 28, citing urgent technical problems aboard the amphibious assault ship that had recently joined India's International Fleet Review. New Del...