Colombo, Mar 6: Sri Lankan authorities on Friday began transferring more than 200 sailors from the Iranian vessel IRIS Bushehr to shore after the ship sought assistance while anchored outside the country’s territorial waters. The development comes days after a U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena, sharply escalating tensions in the Indian Ocean region.
Sri Lanka Navy spokesperson Commander Buddhika Sampath said the crew members are being transported to the Port of Colombo. The vessel is expected to be moved to an eastern port once initial procedures are completed.
The sailors will undergo medical screening and immigration formalities at the Welisara naval base, located about 20 kilometres north of the capital.
US strike heightens regional tensions
The assistance operation follows the dramatic sinking of IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast earlier this week by a U.S. submarine. The rare wartime-style engagement — one of the few instances since World War II in which a submarine destroyed a surface warship — has intensified the confrontation between Washington and Tehran.
Sri Lankan naval teams earlier rescued 32 sailors from the sea and recovered 87 bodies after the incident, underscoring the heavy human toll of the strike.
Iranian vessel previously joined naval drills
The IRIS Dena had recently participated in a large multinational naval exercise hosted by India that involved more than 70 countries, according to Indian defence authorities. The United States Navy also took part in maritime patrol and reconnaissance activities during the drills.
Iran condemns attack
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi strongly criticised the U.S. action, describing it as an “atrocity at sea” and warning that Washington would face consequences.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said the decision to assist the IRIS Bushehr was taken after consultations with Iranian officials and the ship’s captain. Authorities confirmed that the vessel experienced an engine failure before requesting help.
“This is not an ordinary situation,” the president said, adding that Sri Lanka’s response was guided by international maritime conventions and humanitarian obligations.
Sri Lanka stresses neutrality
Some members of the Iranian crew will remain aboard the vessel to assist Sri Lankan naval personnel in navigating it to Trincomalee, a major eastern port about 265 kilometres from Colombo.
Dissanayake reiterated that Sri Lanka would maintain its long-standing policy of neutrality despite rising geopolitical tensions.
“We will not be biased toward any country, nor will we submit to pressure from any state,” he said.
The episode highlights the delicate diplomatic balance Sri Lanka must maintain as regional tensions grow in the Indian Ocean.