Sri Lanka Repatriates 238 Iranian Sailors Stranded After US Torpedo Attack

Over 200 Iranian sailors, who were stranded in Sri Lanka following a US torpedo attack, are now returning to Iran after being in the country for over a month. On Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Defence Minister, Aruna Jayasekara, confirmed the departure of 32 sailors rescued from the Iris Dena and 206 from the Irins Bushehr. The Iranian warship, Iris Dena, sank on March 4, approximately 40km (25 miles) off Sri Lanka’s southern coast, after being struck by a torpedo from a US submarine. The incident resulted in the deaths of 104 sailors. The following day, March 5, Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval vessel, Irins Bushehr, which had requested to dock at one of the country’s ports due to an engine malfunction. Jayasekara informed Reuters that the crews from both vessels were flown out on Tuesday night. The Sri Lankan government had issued 30-day entry visas to the stranded sailors, who were accommodated in navy and air force camps. The Iris Dena was reportedly returning from a military exercise hosted by India when the attack occurred. Video footage released by the US Department of Defense after the incident depicted a ship being struck, its stern rising before an explosion. The remains of 84 Iranian sailors killed in the attack were recovered and subsequently repatriated via a chartered plane organized by Iran. The sinking of the vessel in international waters occurred just days into the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran, marking a significant escalation of hostilities. Since then, Iran has launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, targeting Gulf countries allied with the US. Sri Lanka permitted the Iranian vessel to dock at a north-eastern port on March 5 after extensive discussions, with its president stating the nation would ‘never hesitate to protect humanity’. ‘Our position has been to safeguard our neutrality while demonstrating our humanitarian values,’ President Anura Kumara Dissanayake stated at the time. He added that Sri Lanka ‘intervened in a way that demonstrated our commitment to international conventions, protecting the reputation and dignity of our country, and protecting human lives’. Since gaining independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has consistently upheld a policy of non-alignment. The country maintains strong economic and diplomatic ties with both Iran and the US.
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