The "quiet death" of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena, dispatched by an American torpedo just about forty-four nautical miles off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday, blows a submarine-sized hole into India’s long-held aspirations for naval primacy in the Indian Ocean. For years, New Delhi has positioned itself as the "net security provider" for the region, yet the ability of an extra-regional power to execute a high-stakes kinetic strike within India’s primary littoral zone—and immediately following the high-profile MILAN 2026 exercises—dents somewhat the illusion of Indian dominance. The conflict between the United States and Iran........

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