By: Isuru Parakrama
March 08, Colombo (LNW): Sri Lanka has released 22 Iranian sailors from hospital care after they were rescued from life rafts following the sinking of their warship, the IRIS Dena, in the waters near the island, officials confirmed on Sunday (08).
The sailors had been receiving treatment at Karapitiya Hospital in Galle since Wednesday (04), following the torpedoing of their vessel by a U.S. submarine just outside Sri Lankan territorial waters.
A hospital official noted that a further ten crew members remain under medical supervision, while the bodies of 84 other Iranians recovered from the Indian Ocean were also at the facility.
Those discharged have been relocated to a nearby coastal resort to continue their recovery. Sri Lankan authorities stressed that all survivors are being treated in accordance with international humanitarian law, and the government has sought guidance and support from the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka is hosting 219 sailors from a second Iranian vessel, the IRIS Bushehr, which docked a day after the Dena incident. These sailors have been accommodated at a Sri Lanka Navy camp in Welisara, just north of Colombo, while the Bushehr itself is under the supervision of the Sri Lankan Navy.
Plans to transfer the ship to Trincomalee in the northeast have been delayed due to technical and administrative difficulties, according to a Navy spokesperson.
Colombo has rejected claims that it was acting under pressure from Washington regarding the sailors’ return home, affirming that its decisions are guided solely by domestic legislation and international law. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said the handling of the Bushehr crew and other rescued Iranian sailors is a matter for Sri Lanka to decide, adding: “The United States respects and recognises Sri Lanka’s sovereignty in this matter.”
In a related development, India granted safe harbour to a third Iranian warship, the IRIS Lavan, after it encountered engine troubles. Docking in the port of Kochi on Wednesday (04), the vessel carried a significant number of young cadets, many of whom have been transferred to nearby facilities. India’s Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, described the decision as motivated by humanitarian considerations, emphasising the welfare of those on board.
These three vessels had been participating in a multinational fleet review organised by India shortly before the recent escalation in West Asia, revealing the need for careful humanitarian management amidst the ongoing escalations in the region.
The incident highlights Sri Lanka’s growing role in providing immediate assistance and safe haven to naval personnel caught up in regional conflicts, while balancing international obligations and domestic considerations.