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Iranian sailors leave Sri Lanka after month-long ordeal
More than 200 Iranian naval personnel, stranded in Sri Lanka following a US torpedo strike on their vessel, have flown home after over a month in the country, Sri Lankan officials confirmed on Wednesday.
Attack and aftermath
The Iranian warship Iris Dena sank on 4 March approximately 40 km off Sri Lanka's southern coast after being struck by a torpedo fired from a US submarine, resulting in the deaths of 104 sailors. The incident occurred in international waters and escalated tensions amid the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran.
Footage released by the US Department of Defense showed the moment the torpedo hit, causing the ship's stern to lift before an explosion. The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors were later recovered and repatriated via a chartered flight arranged by Tehran.
Sri Lanka's humanitarian response
The following day, Sri Lanka took control of a second Iranian vessel, the Irins Bushehr, after it requested emergency docking due to engine failure. The Sri Lankan government granted the stranded sailors 30-day entry visas and housed them in military camps.
"Our position has been to safeguard our neutrality while demonstrating our humanitarian values," Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in a statement on 5 March. "We intervened in a way that upheld international conventions, protected our country's reputation, and prioritised human lives."
The Irins Bushehr remains anchored near Trincomalee in northeastern Sri Lanka, with 15 Iranian sailors staying behind to operate the vessel.
Diplomatic balancing act
Sri Lanka, which has maintained a policy of non-alignment since gaining independence in 1948, has cultivated strong economic and diplomatic ties with both Iran and the US. The government's decision to assist the Iranian sailors underscored its commitment to neutrality and humanitarian principles.
Deputy Defence Minister Aruna Jayasekara told Reuters that the crews of both ships departed on Tuesday night, ending their extended stay in the country.
Regional tensions escalate
The sinking of the Iris Dena occurred days after the US-Israeli conflict with Iran intensified. In retaliation, Tehran has since launched strikes across the Middle East, targeting Gulf nations allied with Washington.
